NO MEETING DAYS, FLEXIBLE WORK
More employers are looking at ways to help their workers strike a work-life balance.
Ms Donna Ho, for instance, has to juggle various responsibilities at work and at home, including looking after her two young sons.
“During the pandemic period, it was overwhelming. It was quite daunting,” said Ms Ho, an operations manager at multinational food services and facilities management company Sodexo.
“I remember that I had to work through the wee hours, and I thought I was alone to handle the challenges that came our way. However, I was not.”
She credits the culture at her firm, which places a strong focus on employee welfare, for the support.
“As a working mum with two young boys, I’m usually balancing between the work front as well as personal family care. Sodexo provided me with flexible work arrangements,” said Ms Ho.
“I remember the times that I brought my kids to work during the school holidays, and this is the type of culture that, as a company, I’m really proud of.”
Yet, ensuring adequate support for their staff can be tough for Sodexo. It employs about 1,000 people in Singapore, of which 90 per cent comprise frontline workers such as kitchen assistants, cleaners and cooks.
To address this challenge, the company offers a range of initiatives, from no-meeting days and flexible work arrangements to partnerships with external vendors.
Mr Abel Ariza, Sodexo’s managing director for Malaysia and Singapore, said the partnerships help provide employees with various programmes, including supporting their mental well-being and developing empathetic leadership.
