The majority of respondents from Marriage and Parenthood Study 2012 done by National Population and Talent Division felt that they had a good work-life balance. However, more than half of the same respondents felt exhausted and wanted more time to spend with their family members (NPTD, 2012). This reflects the change in the meaning of what work and family mean to the individual, with Singaporeans accepting the fact that work and life are no longer separate spheres and adapting their way around it.
Based on Marriage and Parenthood Study, 82 percent of married respondents replied to have good work-life balance (NPTD, 2012). However, out of these respondents, 62 per cent of them felt worn out after working and 54 percent feel that their work
…show more content…
Gender differences and societal expectations also cause family roles to be more intertwined and confusing. Firstly, according to Symbolic Interaction framework, in Role Theory, every member has a specific role that comes with its own expectations (Nock, 1987). An unhealthy work-life balance then affects the family in the delegation of tasks and responsibilities, which binds family members together. The lack of a healthy work-life balance might suggest some members of forgoing family time to work, and such an absence would mean that the individual did not participate or do their part, which meant that other family members within the household would have to take on more roles and responsibilities. Absence may also lead to disappointments and blame due to the expectations that come with that said role, leading to the development of unhealthy relationships. Unable to spend quality time with their spouses to communicate and understand each other due to work demands may lead to further conflicts, avoidance or separations. According to Nock, about half of first marriages end in divorce and these causes are found in social environments (Nock, 1987). In Singapore, the marriage rate is about 6.8 (per 1000 people) while the divorce rates are at 1.9 in 2014 (Singstats, 2015). This means that …show more content…
This is due to Singapore’s family-friendly policies to help couples have a well-balanced work-life, such as the Foreign Maid Scheme. There is an increase in migrant domestic workers in Singapore’s households, where families hire someone else to do the house “work” and care for the young and old when they are busy with their careers. With someone helping out with domestic chores, married couples have more free time after work to relax and enjoy spending quality time with their