The impact of working from home due to the pandemic has both positive and negative effects on workers, and on both genders. Even while we enjoy the conveniences of working from home, the lines sometimes have been quite blurred, and we find ourselves in our seats, jumping from one meeting to another. This has taken some strain on us over the past 20 months. Sister Yeo Wan Ling, who heads NTUC U Women & Family, has been leading the charge for the last 12 or so months, together with our unions, to encourage employers to think more and deeper about the concept of work-life harmony so that men and women can experience better balance and work-life harmony between the workplace and at home.

We will continue to work with Singapore Ministry of Manpower, Singapore National Employers Federation and our employers in unionised sectors to do these things well. NTUC just marked our 60th year of founding on 6 September. We’ve stood by workers for the last 60 years, and I promise you that in the next 60 years, we will certainly stand by workers in this area and in many others.