Employees value work-life balance more than job security

Women (57%) also place higher premium on work-life balance than men (50%).

Singapore employees are more likely to stay with their bosses if they are offered better work-life balance over the prospect of security of tenure, according to employment agency Randstad.

More than half (53%) of employees cite work-life balance as a reason for staying at their occupation compared to the 43% which view job security as a compelling reason to stay. Women are also more likely to stay with workplaces that have initiatives and policies in place to help employees be healthier than men (57% vs 50%), suggesting that they need support from the workplace as they strike the balance between their duties at home and at work.

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Across all ages, work-life balance is also the most consistent criteria employees seek in an ideal employer as the factor has been growing steadily from 54% in 2015 to 64% in 2018.

“We’ve seen companies in Singapore starting to introduce some very interesting initiatives such as extended paid paternity and well-being leave. With healthier and happier employees, productivity would naturally increase,” said Randstad Singapore country director Jaya Dass.

However, salary and benefits (55%) is still the top reason employees stay in their present jobs although the growing importance of work-life balance indicates the shifting priorities of Singapore employees with their work demands. On the other hand, 39% cite financial healthy as the reason for staying whilst 38% believe work atmosphere plays a key role in retaining talent.