Work-life balance eludes majority of Singapore working mothers: survey

Most spend less than 10 hours a week with their kids.

Female workers in Singapore face a striking a work-life balance, as majority of working mothers are hard-pressed to spend time with family while maintaining their professional lives.

According to a survey by employment marketplace JobStreet.com, over 7 in 10 (75%) working mothers in Singapore spend less than 10 hours with their children during a workweek.

Further, respondents expressed concern that they are missing out on their families’ everyday lives. 7 in 10 (70%) revealed that they would give up working if they had the financial means to do so.

The survey also showed that over 6 in 10 (69%) of working mothers are working for the need to support their families; the need to plan for retirement; and the need to be financially independent.

On top of this, respondents cited other challenges in the workplace including having to look after their children while building a career, lack of career advancement opportunities and gender-salary gap.

Gender inequality was also observed in the workplace, with over 6 in 10 (66%) respondents sharing that they experienced unfair treatment in terms of career progression, remuneration, recruitment and performance appraisal because of their gender.

On the flip side, the survey revealed that over 6 in 10 (65%) of working women say their spouses and children understand their sacrifices and time spent away from home.

JobStreet.com reports that the survey involved 480 female respondents in Singapore.