Trying to juggle a Work-Life Balance

A work-life balance takes a lot of work. When I wasn't pregnant,  the words held little meaning for me. All day was just work , work , work.  The fact that I am a teacher further complicates matters as - we all know - being a teacher is almost like a 24 hour job.  The moment I reach home, I work. On weekends, I have to return for CCAs. On weekends, I would be thinking of assignments to mark or new lesson plans to do up. At night, I would be thinking of new ideas of how to engage students.

It would get so bad at times that my husband would argue with me and whine that I was ignoring him and I would just brush it aside as one of his petty complaints. It was... never ending! Here are some examples of letters written to the Straits Times forum about our workload:


21 May 2010
Care for them if we truly care about education

.....

The typical workday routine as related by Ms Aishah is sadly true although individual cases may differ. Teachers who are likely to deny this problem exists belong to two categories. The first are young and ambitious teachers or heads of department who are being fast-tracked for promotion to principal.

The second group comprises the middle-aged or senior teachers who are hoping to bite the bullet and just make it to the next grade so that they can increase their income and pay for their children’s education and clear their mortgage before retiring....

As I read this, perhaps I belong to the first category of teachers but I won't say that it was due to ambition. Rather, it was passion that drove me at insane speed but hey, who would believe me if I say that?


Difficult for teachers to achieve work-life balance
....
In it, he mentioned how his daughter was assigned “far more responsibilities than the average teacher” when she returned to full-time teaching after her maternity leave. Yet, she was given a lower performance grading.

I believe there is nothing wrong in the school awarding her a lower performance grading. After all, she was out of action for a good six months (four months of paid maternity leave and an additional two months of no-pay leave).

To put it in perspective, someone would have had to shoulder his daughter’s teaching, administrative and co-curricular activity (CCA) duties while she was away for half a year. It is only equitable that she be assessed for the time she was in school, while her colleagues who were hard at work for the full school year should be rated higher, all other things being equal. Imagine the impact on staff morale (just consider the singles and the men) if maternity leave were used to validate an equivalent performance bonus payout....

In fact, it was said that some principles did tell their staff that they will be awarded a lower grade due to their maternity leave as technically- they are not there for half a year. I have also heard that mothers who chose half or three-quater load will always be given a lower grade as they have less work to do.

It’s a tough lot, teachers

......

Even during school holidays, teachers have to attend staff meetings, workshops and courses, as well as remedial and supplementary classes, holiday camps and overseas excursions. They also have to contend with more administrative work and prepare lesson plans.....

In December, our only official holiday is the first two weeks of December. However, I have to return for workshops, attend CCAs and stuff. This will continue until school reopens. In June, those who are teaching graduating classes have to return for intensive lessons with the students. After that, we have more lesson plans and more courses to attend.

Yet now, as a little one will soon join the family -  I find myself seriously considering a more worklife balance. I find myself realising the importance of wanting to be there for my child and making sure that she 'grows up right'. I don't want to find myself worrying ten or twenty years down the road when I watch her falling into bad company and regreting that I have not been there for her earlier. In fact, this article stated that busy Singaporeans actually wish for a work-life balance:

Work/life balance tops S'poreans' priorities: survey High pay is not what matters most to Singaporeans when it comes to looking for a good place to work. Nande Khin Sat, May 05, 2007 The Business Times IT may surprise you, but high pay is not what matters most to Singaporeans when it comes to looking for a good place to work. In fact, the thing they want most is a flexible work/life balance. A recent survey conducted by global recruitment firm Robert Walters found that 35% of respondents said a flexible work/life balance is the main reason to consider a company 'a great employer'. Mark Ellwood, managing director of Robert Walters Singapore, said that the survey is further proof that employees increasingly regard quality of life as their chief objective. 'People are prepared to work hard but the trade-off is two-fold,' he said. 'They want to enjoy the work they do but they don't want to feel enslaved to their work. Employers need to be wise to this, because with competition for top talent at its most intense, they run the risk of losing out if they don't meet this increasingly important requirement.' ........ 

But is it really possible to achieve a work-life balance in Singapore?

Mad as hell but we still take it: 57% of Singaporeans complain work/life balance unattainable

Singapore Business / In Focus, 28 Oct 2010

In a survey by recruiting experts Hays, a further 36.02 percent said work/life balance is attainable, but that it is up to them to make it work. 21.46 percent feel work/life balance is not attainable, according to a Hays report.

“As this survey shows, most Singaporeans now believe work/life balance is achievable, provided they either find the right employer or they take matters into their own hands,” said Chris Mead, General Manager of Hays in Singapore.

“This is good news for job seekers because the recent conversations we’ve had with them shows that work/life balance has shot up their priority list. It’s replaced job security now that we’re seeing such strong jobs numbers.

“While salary and career progression are also important factors in a job seeker’s decision, it’s the potential for work/life balance that can be the deal breaker in an offer that otherwise ticks all the boxes.

“The most common work/life balance approaches we see are compressed working weeks and part-time work. Job sharing and working from home are also becoming more common.
“The employers we speak to that have practical and flexible working options in place often say productivity has increased and staff retention and loyalty have improved because their employees’ work/life balance is better. Employers that offer flexible working options to support their employees also gain a good reputation in their industry,” he said.

According to Hays, simple, flexible working options can make the difference between keeping and losing staff at a critical time, when the best employees are needed to drive recovery.

“The key is to make available the flexible working options most sought after by employees,” added Chris. “A one-size fits-all approach will not work. That’s why over one third of our survey respondents said work/life balance is only attainable if they make it work. It’s important for employers to speak to their staff about the options that will allow them to achieve the desired work/life balance.

“Ultimately, we see flexible working policies as a positive move for both employers and employees and we hope to see continued improvements in this area,” said Chris. 

The survey was conducted on www.hays.sg. 783 people responded.

Seriously, to achieve a work-life balance is still a dream for natural resources-lacking Singapore. Our resources have always been humans and to stay on top of the global business and productivity - we will be expected to be working non-stop. Yet some believe that parents are able to do it well:

Healthy work-life balance for parents

by Alex Lim

Fri, Apr 23, 2010

The Sunday Times

 

JUGGLING work and life commitments is already a major issue for most couples, and many believe having a baby will only add to their headache. But experts say you can balance both if you learn to redefine your life goals.

“Work-life balance is a very real issue and when you are currently experiencing tremendous strain, parenthood seems remotely possible,” says work-life consultant, Mrs Helen Lim-Yang, a senior partner at OTi-SDC Consulting. But she advises couples to jointly reprioritise and plan their life goals around their resources, strengths and passion. “If your intent is to carve out a career niche or to remain in the same industry, then consider a change in role where your expertise is still valuable.”

This was what Ms Lee Ching Wern, 30, a corporate communications manager in Changi Airport Group (CAG), did when she and her husband became parents one and half years ago.
She knew it would be near impossible to juggle motherhood with the long and irregular hours she kept in her previous jobs as a journalist and public relations consultant.

In her current role, she can have family- friendly working hours while keeping her career in the communications industry — something that Ms Lee describes as having “the best of both worlds”.
This is because CAG encourages parenthood and provides a conducive working environment for its employees with babies or young children.

Its Flexi-Place Scheme allows Ms Lee to work from home for up to two days a month, if necessary, as long as her work commitments do not require her to be physically in the office. “I believe that being a parent does not necessarily mean your career has to suffer. It’s a matter of finding a suitable job that allows you to be a good worker without having to compromise on being a good parent,” says Ms Lee.

She adds that strong support from her husband Loh Woon Liang, 30, a civil servant, and family help too. “Throughout my maternity leave and even after I went back to work, Woon Liang has shown his love and support by really doing more than his fair share around the house, including unglamorous baby-related tasks like changing diapers, washing and sterilising milk bottles, preparing baby puree and washing baby clothes with food stains every single day,” explains Ms Lee.

While they are away at work, Mr Loh’s parents take care of their toddler Kayla. “We are very thankful for my parents, both retired, who take such good care of Kayla in the day when we are at work, so we don’t have to worry about her wellbeing at all,” says Mr Loh. “Every evening, when we arrive to bring her home for the night, she will always be bright and cheerful after a happy day at her grandparents.  I strongly believe that such closeness children share with their grandparents from such a young age is a priceless bond that will follow them for life.”

The couple, who have known each other since secondary school, understand that parenthood is a major commitment. When they got married three years ago, they knew they wanted to have children and are planning to have one more. “One of our considerations was to try to have them sooner, rather than later, not just because of the possible complications that come along with pregnancy after age 35, but also because we didn’t want to have to worry about our ability to provide for our young kids when we are already in our 50s,” says Mr Loh.

Ms Lee adds: “No doubt, there are sacrifices that you’ll have to make in terms of lifestyle, but the returns are so much more. The joy of loving unconditionally and being loved the same way by your child is truly indescribable.”

Do the right thing

• Striking a good work-life balance requires a reprioritisation of your life goals as a couple.
• Consider the kind of life you want to live and focus your energy on your priorities.
• Know your strengths and passions, and align your life around them.
• Identify areas of your life that are causing unnecessary strain or wasting too much of your time and make adjustments to minimise the stress or save time.

If you are in your preferred profession but work inordinately long hours, find out why. Is it due to the nature of the job, the organisation culture or time-wasting habits?

Appreciate that you need not live your life at the same high intensity all the time;
there are times when a break is necessary and rewarding.

— Mrs Helen Lim-Yang, senior partner, OTi-SDC Consulting

I have been doing a lot of thinking recently and I actually thought of entering childhood education. Firstly, it will still revolve around my passion for pedagogy and secondly, I may even enter the field when my bond expires for the sake of my child. Still, it is just an idea and who kows what may happen after today.

It will take a lot of discipline, planning, organisation and creative ideas in order to really achieve a work-life balance without sacrificing either your job or family. I want to be happy doing it and not be overwhelmed by stress before ending up in Intistute of Mental Hospital. That's why I am starting now - reading, rearranging little things in my life, picking up organisation skills, planning for the baby's future.

Some may call me kiasu for thinking too much too early but seriously, have more things ever been done efficiently when left to the very last minute?