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https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/work-life-balance-covid-19-hybrid-remote-great-resignation-wave-jobs-2682751 Many of us hold on to work-life balance as an ideal, without acknowledging the blood and sweat that make it possible in the first place, or how it’s not always feasible in our circumstances, says business writer Keith Yap. SINGAPORE: Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, working norms, especially in knowledge-intensive industries, have changed forever. Many of us have become skilled practitioners of working from home, attending Zoom Meetings with smart tops and pyjama bottoms, and eating lunches with Netflix instead of co-workers. In light of other trends like employees reconsidering their priorities and quitting their jobs, the narratives surrounding the future of work has percolated into online discourse. From TikTok to Harvard Business Review, the Internet is replete with advice on navigating this brave new world after the pandemic. While narratives about work are varied and fragmented, the motif of workers' burnout remains consistent. As offices in Singapore fling their doors open to welcome back all workers, many are pushing back against burnout in favour of pursuing work-life balance. Many of us visualise a seesaw when thinking about work-life balance, with the ideal of work and life on both ends perfectly level. It’s a zero-sum game and our language reflects any perceived imbalance – work “eats into” our weekends, we worry about "sacrificing" careers if we have kids and take parental leave. The hypothetical employee who’s achieved the coveted work-life balance looks like this: They enjoy autonomy in their professional life. They work a remote job, log in at nine, be ultra productive and go offline at six, commuting to the office only twice a week. They can reject all work communication outside of those hours. The rest of their time is protected for better pursuits, dedicated to dabbling in the guitar, cooking risotto for the family and catching up with pals every week. JOB MOVEMENTS AREN’T ALWAYS LIFESTYLE UPGRADES But a closer look reveals two key problems. First, a rigid conceptualisation of balance assumes such a lifestyle is immediately attainable for everyone, especially more junior employees. The Great Resignation Wave should not conceal the fact that many workers are leveraging the moment to move up in the same industry to get higher pay and more flexible work arrangements. But to make such moves, workers need bargaining power. They do this by spending most of their waking lives for years honing their craft, developing an edge to differentiate themselves in a crowded labour market. If workers at the beginning of their career prioritise flexibility and autonomy, they will end up compromising on picking up and perfecting skills required for career progression. Granted, one can reject the prospect of sprinting up the corporate ladder and trade progression for flexibility. This trade-off is laudable for some but impractical for others. However, current discussions assume job movements are unconditional lifestyle upgrades, without acknowledging the blood and sweat that made them possible. And with the new slate of responsibilities, the exigencies of work might mean compartmentalising work and life becomes even more challenging for all but the most senior roles. COMPANIES CAN’T ALWAYS PROMISE WORK-LIFE BALANCE With the spotlight on employee well-being, companies are embarking on more initiatives like offering mindfulness workshops or meditation apps, even giving employees mental health off days. Workers point out such efforts do not address the root cause of burnout: Exhausting work conditions. More are calling on corporate leaders to re-examine working hours and their expectations of employees. But here lies the second problem: Despite the best efforts of employers, the realities of work often make it difficult for companies to promise work-life balance. Any seasoned worker knows projects often take more time than expected and are prepared to work overtime to meet deadlines. The inconvenient truth is that a company exists for-profit and must outperform competitors. Thus the paradox of work-life balance is two-fold. To provide it indiscriminately, the company risks compromising its mission. To pursue it indiscriminately, the worker risks compromising career progression. EMBRACING WORK-LIFE RHYTHM INSTEAD It might be high time to discard the term “work-life balance” and that mental image of a seesaw. Let’s embrace instead the pursuit of a healthy “work-life rhythm” - a rhythm that moves with need, alternating between periods of hard work and deep rest over time. This can facilitate professional development and organisational growth while alleviating worker burnout. During periods of hard work, the worker is focused on project completion and will expect an intense workload. This could mean working past office hours regularly or even burning the midnight oil on some occasions. In return, companies can guarantee a minimum of work-free hours (such as weekends or mass block leave) so workers can tend to their personal lives. Conversely, professional obligations would be kept to an absolute minimum during periods of deep rest. During a company-wide lull, staff don’t have to worry about lingering work responsibilities, and can take on new hobbies or go on extended vacations. This would mark a divergence from our current practice of leaving workers to manage their leave schedule. Wouldn't we feel a nagging pang of guilt if we scooted over to Bali while our colleagues were working, even when we intuitively know there is not much to do? Conversations on work-life rhythm aren’t yet mainstream, though proponents compare it to seasons. Just as there are seasons for planting, harvesting and resting, we go through life phases where we can give our all to work – whether it’s building a business or designing a product – and where we must dedicate ourselves to family. Beyond the debate whether we should shift towards four-day work weeks, perhaps we should also be talking about 10-month work years. A GREATER APPRECIATION OF LIFE WITH EXTENDED PERIODS OF REST As a healthy work-life rhythm will benefit Singapore greatly, the Government can take the lead, as it has done so by calling for flexible work arrangements to become a permanent feature. The Government can continue actively engaging industry players through incentives and dialogues to shape better work norms. At a national level, such a work-life rhythm creates a society where no one is compelled to work laboriously throughout the year. It could empower more individuals to devote their spare time to work of public importance such as volunteering, political participation and the arts. Other more career-minded ones would improve their skills to be more productive at work. Most importantly, there will be a greater appreciation of life with extended periods of relaxation. We can focus on our family and friends, which goes a long way in countering burnout, cynicism and angst. COVID-19 has forced us to re-imagine the future of work. It might be time to retire the pursuit of the ever-elusive work-life balance. After all, isn't the whole point of a seesaw to enjoy the alternating rhythm of ups and downs instead of always toiling to balance ourselves perfectly?

seriously, how to work life balance ehh? i think 4G is giving too much idea to the young until they all ya-ya-pa-pa-ya there is no easy money ... T2 will say ... you must go into the cave to get the tiger cubs ... https://mothership.sg/2023/07/dbs-piyush-gupta-work-life-balance-baloney/

S’pore NMP Proposes 4 Days Work In Office & 1 At Home After Covid-19 For Better Balance source: https://mustsharenews.com/work-home-covid-19/ NMP Proposes Flexible Work Arrangements After Covid-19 For Better Work-Life Balance The need to adjust to a new way of life amidst the Covid-19 outbreak included nationwide calls to work from home. While the end of ‘Circuit Breaker’ marked a return to old ways for many, the new arrangement might become the norm for others. Members of Parliament (MPs) yesterday (5 Jun) discussed the future of work-life balance for Singapore workers, and proposed some changes worth standing behind. 5-day work to split between home & office According to The Straits Times (ST), Nominated MP (NMP) Mohamed Irshad suggested a flexible work schedule for all. Instead of working all 5 days in the office or other sites, their time can be split into 4 days at work and 1 day where they get to work from home if they wish. Employers can further tweak the perks by offering flexible work hours each day. He cited successful firms like Microsoft which operate on this model, with almost 40% better productivity. New Zealand is also considering the change to improve work-life balance. Perhaps with less rigid schedules, work may become less stressful, which in turn could boost morale and afford workers with more time for family and other personal matters. Extra paid childcare leave for working parents In the same vein, MP Louis Ng proposed more government-paid childcare leave, which will at least get parents through Phase 2 post ‘Circuit Breaker’. With children still on rotational Home-Based Learning (HBL), parents will have to continue monitoring them closely. For many, being home themselves too adds on more domestic responsibilities on top of their existing workload. ST reports Mr Ng’s explanation that many parents have resorted to unpaid leave, which may be hard on their finances in the current climate. As such, government-paid childcare leave will greatly ease both their employers’ and their own burdens. Covid-19 highlighted the need for more balance at work As work from home inevitably blurs the lines between professional and personal time, it raises the different stress points Singapore workers have been experiencing. More than anything, this Covid-19 measure has highlighted the need for better work-life balance. We’re glad that our leaders are helping to voice our concerns, and we hope that we can look forward to some changes soon.

Millennials in charge of millennials Ms Josephine Chow (right), 28, ShopBack's Singapore country manager. With her is Ms Samantha Soh (left), 23, a founder of the online cashback rewards site.ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI Millennials are the much-discussed generation born between 1980 and 2000 with a reputation for being entitled, finicky and frank to the point of seeming insubordinate. They account for 40 per cent of the workforce. So what happens when millennial business owners end up hiring other millennials? How do these young bosses deal with managing their own opinionated peers? The Sunday Times pops into five such workplaces PUBLISHED: 6 HOURS AGO Ankita Varma LATE? BUY EVERYONE COFFEE When you work at online cashback rewards site ShopBack, you do not have to worry about wearing proper office attire or checking your social media channels during working hours. However, there is one piece of advice that every millennial employee at the company will give you: Do not arrive at work later than 9.15am. Latecomers will find their names entered into a pool, from which three names are drawn every month. Their punishment? Foot the bill for Starbucks coffee for the entire company. The "Starbucks Lucky Draw" policy has helped "encourage" everyone in the team of more than 50 to get to work on time every day. ShopBack, which gives shoppers a portion of their online spending back when they shop through the portal on sites such as fashion e-tailer Zalora and online grocer RedMart, was started by six founders under 30 years old in September 2014. For the youngest of them, Ms Samantha Soh, 23, enforcing the punctuality rule has been an important way to build team spirit. The user interface designer, who is single, worked at Rocket Internet, a company that builds and invests in Internet companies, before leaving to start ShopBack in 2014. Given how much time we spend in the office, it's not absurd that millennials expect a nurturing, dynamic and fun work environment. MS JOSEPHINE CHOW, 28, ShopBack's Singapore country manager. With her is Ms Samantha Soh, 23, a founder of the online cashback rewards site "Team bonding doesn't just happen because a bunch of millennials work together," she says. "There needs to be guidelines in place to ensure team members can interact with one another." Still, it does not hurt that the company's 2,000 sq ft office space in Ayer Rajah has a cool start-up vibe - an open-plan working area that merges seamlessly into comfortable lounging areas, complete with bean bags, a ping-pong table and a variety of snacks and drinks. Its millennial employees enjoy working in the office so much that the company has "shopcations" - particularly busy periods when staff opt to stay overnight at the office rather than go home. Its Singapore country manager, Ms Josephine Chow, 28, who is single and also worked at Rocket Internet previously, says a cosy workplace allows for happier and more productive employees. She says: "Given how much time we spend in the office, it's not absurd that millennials expect a nurturing, dynamic and fun work environment. "In this day and age, the onus is on managers and companies to provide those for them." DO NOT CALL HIM BOSS Mr Tristan Torres Velat (far left), 36, general manager of food delivery portal Deliveroo, who practises a flattened workpalce hierarchy. ST PHOTO: MARCUS TAN Working for Deliveroo, Mr Tristan Torres Velat has on many occasions driven a motorbike to deliver food. Every Friday, he also dons a full Kangaroo suit - the "Roo" in Deliveroo - to hand out fliers in the Central Business District under the noon sun. It may be hard to imagine, but he is the general manager of the Singapore branch of the British- based food delivery firm Deliveroo. The 36-year-old oversees about 50 staff who are about 24 years old on average. His team includes marketing and branding managers, a customer service team and more than 1,000 delivery drivers. The self-confessed "crazy Spaniard" believes in a radically flattened workplace hierarchy. He does not have a separate office and, instead, constantly rotates where he sits among his team at their shophouse space in Tanjong Pagar so that he can talk to them informally. I have it written above my bathroom mirror that happy employees equal happy customers. MR TRISTAN TORRESVELAT, 36, general manager of food delivery portal Deliveroo, who practises a flattened workpalce hierarchy He also provides a team lunch every Friday and refuses to let anyone call him boss. "I have it written above my bathroom mirror that happy employees equal happy customers," says the former private banker who is married with three children. "Having a young team means dedicating nearly 60 per cent of my time to people management. But that is a small price to pay to have people who are dynamic, creative and ready to try new things." Launched in Singapore six months ago, Deliveroo delivers food from more than 900 restaurants such as P.S. Cafe, Wild Honey and the Paradise Dynasty group. Whenever it partners a new eatery, Mr Velat handles the first delivery himself. Account manager Melanie Tan, 24, who was one of the company's first hires, says: "Tristan leads by example and that has made me feel more invested in the company." Business development manager Adam Sanusi, 25, agrees. "Getting the opportunity to do things shoulder to shoulder with my team - both peers and superiors - is the best part for me." TRUSTING STAFF WITH UNLIMITED LEAVE Mr Sam Kang Li and Mr Darren Tan, both 32, on hiring staff who share the same wavelength for their video production agency Little Red Ants Creative Studio, including Ms Yvonne Chong, 22, a producer. ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM The first thing you notice when you walk into the offices of video production agency Little Red Ants Creative Studio is a giant pile of shoes by the door. Like many homes, there is a no- shoes-indoors policy, as well as a very casual dress code. The employees, who are mostly in their 20s, sport comfortable attire - think shorts, jeans and tees. The relaxed, almost campus-like, vibe seems unsurprising, given the five millennial founders of the company - all photography enthusiasts and former classmates at the Nanyang Technological University's Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information - were under 25 years old when they started the company in 2009. The company, which produces mainly television advertisements and corporate videos, has in seven years grown to include 15 more staff, averaging 25 years old in age. It owns a 2,000 sq ft office in Lavender that has its own in-house editing studio. In terms of work culture, the guiding philosophy seems to be: As long as you get the work done, anything goes. We would rather you fit in with the team and have good work ethic than follow the traditional hiring model that looks only at stellar grades. MR SAM KANG LI and Mr Darren Tan, both 32, on hiring staff who share the same wavelength for their video production agency Little Red Ants Creative Studio, including Ms Yvonne Chong, 22, a producer This applies to anything, from the casual-Friday-every-day dress code to the fact that the firm offers unlimited leave. That means staff can take as many days off as they like, so long as work is submitted on time and other team members are informed of their absence. Director and co-founder Sam Kang Li, 32, who wore shorts and a T-shirt during the interview, says: "Obviously, we monitor to make sure no one takes advantage of the system, but in large part, we don't have hard and fast rules about anything." In terms of hiring, they pick people with whom they share a similar wavelength. Mr Sam, who is single, says: "We would rather you fit in with the team and have good work ethic than follow the traditional hiring model that looks only at stellar grades." The firm's biggest draw seems to be the willingness to offer flexible work schedules, especially for staff entering new phases of their lives. After all, millennials get older too and some of their employees are getting married or having children. This relaxed work culture is undoubtedly why motion graphic artist Ng Keyuan, 29, is still with the company after five years. He joined Little Red Ants Creative Studio after leaving a "traditional, hierarchical company". He says: "I can't imagine going back to an environment like that. "People my age tend to change jobs every two years, but I've really enjoyed the culture of this company and the autonomy I get here to try different things." 26 NOT TOO YOUNG TO HEAD $3.5M CHINA ARM Mr Darren Chen (centre), 37, executive director of Savour Events, who has no qualms appointing Ms Andrea Yeo, 26, as project manager for the events management firm's China office. With them is business development manager Alvin Yip, 26. PHOTO: GIN TAY FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES Five-year-old home-grown events management firm Savour Events is opening its first international office in Shanghai. The person who will be setting up the branch? Project director Andrea Yeo, 26, who has been working with the company for four years. As a project director in Shanghai, she will be handling a budget of $3.5 million. Her boss, Mr Darren Chen, 37, executive director of Savour Events, has no qualms about letting her take charge of the portfolio. This sort of age-blind management is, in fact, what he was gunning for when he started Savour Events in 2012, after leaving a corporate sales position at Formula One. The company, which runs Savour gourmet food festival in Singapore, comprises a millennial team of 11 who handle more than 15 large- scale gourmet events, held in Singapore as well as in places such as India, Hong Kong and China. To manage his team, which averages 25 years old in age, Mr Chen cuts out red tape and improves transparency. For example, he holds weekly "faliure meetings" with his staff, during which they discuss the mistakes that arose in the week and think about ways to prevent them from recurring. I am happy when my team members push their opinions or out-argue me in our meetings... I'm open to such healthy confrontation. MR DARREN CHEN, 37, executive director of Savour Events, who has no qualms appointing Ms Andrea Yeo, 26, as project manager for the events management firm's China office. With them is business development manager Alvin Yip, 26 Mr Chen lets on that shouting matches have happened, especially when a team member felt particularly passionate about something. But these meetings have fostered an openness to failure and a culture of honesty. He says: "I am happy when my team members push their opinions or out-argue me in our meetings. "A traditional boss might take it as insubordination, but I'm open to such healthy confrontation." For Ms Yeo, the open-minded work culture is one she thrives in, especially when she admits that in a traditionally run company, she might not be given such a huge opportunity because she would be deemed too young or inexperienced. Having a young boss running a young team changes the dynamics of things though, she says. "We get along on the same wavelength and things are a lot more open and transparent." For now, though, she is hiding her nerves behind the excitement of helping the Savour business take off in China. She adds: "We've done events there and I'm ready to take our Chinese business to the next level. I've been given a chance, now I'm ready to prove my worth." BEING ON SOCIAL MEDIA IS PART OF JOB SCOPE Ms Rachel Lim (right), 29, on managing the team of millennials behind fast-fashion business Love, Bonito. With her is fellow co-founder Viola Tan, 32. ST PHOTO: MARCUS TAN Don't be surprised if you walk into fast-fashion business, Love, Bonito's spanking new 13,000 sq ft office in Tai Seng and find half the staff surfing social media sites such as Instagram and Facebook. After all, every member of the 47-person team is encouraged to be on social media to better understand the Love, Bonito customer. Love, Bonito's open-plan office, which boasts a 4,000 sq ft warehouse, in-house photo studio and large pantry, was created with the millennial worker in mind. Tables are shared, with no cubicle divisions. In a corner sits a table overflowing with snacks. Propped against a wall is a corkboard titled #LBempowers, covered in colourful post-its highlighting the goals and desires of team members, including wanting to learn Muay Thai and throwing a durian party. This plugged-in and lively work culture has been 10 years in the making for the founders Viola Tan, 32, and Rachel Lim, 29. The third co-founder Velda Tan is no longer involved in the daily operations of the business. What started as a blogshop called BonitoChico, when Ms Viola Tan was a teacher and Ms Lim a student, has morphed into a multi-million- dollar e-commerce business that employs a team of passionate millennials. While one person might be motivated by a pat on the back, another may respond better to a handwritten card. MS RACHEL LIM, 29, on managing the team of millennials behind fast-fashion business Love, Bonito. With her is fellow co-founder Viola Tan, 32 The founders say they choose to hire people close to their age because that is the demographic of its customers. Moreover, a business that mainly markets and sells its products online requires tech- savvy workers, who tend to be young. Because everyone in the office is close in age, the hierarchy is flattened and the atmosphere casual and relaxed. But that does not mean the bosses will not step in when employees cross the line. Two people have been fired. The first was caught stealing merchandise while the other was found constantly gossiping and spreading malicious rumours among the team. Ms Lim says: "We believe in giving second chances, but as leaders, it is also important to set a strong example. We have a trust- based work environment that we are very protective of and it was important that we let it be known that detrimental and toxic behaviour would not be tolerated." Both of them are daughters of taxi drivers and had no background in business. Their journey has been one of trial and error, but experience has made them better at managing teams and people their own age. Ms Lim, who is engaged, says: "While one person might be motivated by a pat on the back, another may respond better to a handwritten card. When working with millennials, I've realised that you can't rely on a one-size-fits-all management style." Ms Tan, who is single and a self- confessed introvert, adds that millennials also enjoy interacting with their bosses because they expect their superiors to be invested in their development. "That has forced me to open up and interact more with my team," she says, "especially when these interactions are ultimately what helps them feel valued and motivated at work."

work life balance is good if you can balance it in a fulfilling way. Not the entitlement that you want to leave on the dot, no weekend, good appraisal, high increment, and fair promotion opportunities. some may say the old days were over when people work late and weekend, and the older generation is outdated on what productivity means. Nevertheless, my concern was what has stated, instead of advocating too much on this until your kids seeing it as an entitlement (yah try telling them to do housework and they start giving you the same excuse of what you advocate), rather parents should teach their kids about hard work, perseverance, endurance and tolerant and not take things for granted. Not asking you to clock 60 hours a week with no life (but why not if you are single and work hard for the money!), I understand many will argue that there are still people working hard today, which i agree and it was also mentioned in the article even for someone in the 30s, different background groom different people. So when you have the balance but other is putting double effort, do not blame others who worker harder getting a better chance of promoting (including FW/FT) or things in life and you just sit there and whine THIS IS UNFAIR! (life is unfair that people dun have to work so hard yet get to enjoy but that is not an entitlement, probably luck!) This is just an old man view.