While many MNCs are known for having a strong work-life culture, more homegrown companies too are coming up with novel ideas to champion this cause.
Take the Cherie Hearts childcare chain, for instance. Yesterday marked the start of a pilot project that saw 50 staff from its headquarters go on a four-day work week, with each getting an alternate Friday off.
After this three-month trial, group president and founder Gurchran Singh wants to extend this initiative to let his 350 childcare teachers and staff in all 42 branches enjoy a shorter work week too.
"What we want to show them is that such a system can be achieved. I ask them to schedule meetings from Monday to Thursday. They can do as they like on Fridays, provided they are able to meet their targets and remain contactable via phone," the 34-year-old told BT.
Mr Singh, who recently received the inaugural Work Life Leadership Award from the Ministry of Manpower, shared his experiences yesterday at a leadership roundtable on work-life harmony, organised by MOM and the Employer Alliance.
The half-day session at the Sheraton Hotel, titled The Economics of Work-Life Harmony, was attended by 45 CEOs and senior management from MNCs and SMEs.
On how he plans to let his teachers have a Friday off, Mr Singh said that all it takes is some simple reshuffling of the timetable to fit all enrichment programmes on Fridays, which can be handled by part-time educators. The full-time teachers can then take the day off, he explained. Investing in a good work-life programme has its pluses, said Mr Singh. Cherie Heart's turnover rate has hovered at or below one per cent for the last three years, lower than the industry's 7 per cent.
One issue that was raised frequently was that of trust, and whether employees would be tempted to abuse these and other benefits.
Helen Lim-Yang, CEO of HR firm OTi Consulting, said: "There's no need to micro-manage, or check on your staff all the time to make sure they are doing their job. There should be an unsuspecting culture, and only if productivity levels fall, should the manager step in and find out what the problems are and how to address them. Balance flexibility with accountability, and instil a culture of trust and respect."
The tangible benefits extend beyond just a happy employee. Ms Lim-Yang said that her company saves as much as $74,000 a year on average on recruitment costs by maintaining its lower turnover rate.
Over at German engineering group Siemens, also a winner at this year's Work-Life Excellence Awards, a survey that it conducted recently found that 83 per cent of its 2,500-strong staff were proud to work there, while 94 per cent said that they could adequately balance the demands of work and personal life.
The company's managing director, Hans-Dieter Bott, said that staff turnover is currently 12 per cent, which is lower than the industry average.
Besides common schemes such as staggered hours and telecommuting, all employees also get up to $572 a year to spend on their health, such as for insurance and sports goods. Still, it seems that sometimes, even a good thing can take some getting used to.
Cherie Hearts' Mr Singh, who was also taking his Friday off yesterday, checked on the office and found that half of the 50 eligible staff came back to work. "They told me that they have some reports to finish up. Later, I'm going to go back to the office and chase them out," he joked.
This article was first published in The Business Times on September 6, 2008.
