Want to solve Singapore’s fertility problem? Start by rethinking caregiving at work

[SINGAPORE] Singapore’s falling birth rate is often framed as a question of incentives, costs or personal choice. But for many Singaporeans, the issue is that caregiving does not fit into their working lives.

Here, caregiving has long been treated as a private matter. It’s something that happens outside of work, often carried quietly by women, whether for young children or ageing parents.

That model is increasingly out of step with reality.

Singapore today is not just a low-fertility society – it is also a rapidly ageing one. Caregiving is no longer the responsibility of a few.

Yet, many workplaces still treat caregiving as the exception rather than the norm. They operate on the assumption that employees have the time, capacity and external support to keep caregiving separate from work.

Part of the problem is how we think about work-life balance. It is often imagined as a static trade-off. In reality, it shifts constantly depending on one’s life stage.

Life has changed, but many workplaces have not

When people consider having a child, they are not just thinking about finances or government support, but also practical considerations.

“Will I have the time?” “Will my employer understand?” “Will I be able to cope?” “Will caregiving affect how I am being evaluated at work?”

These questions do not arise in a vacuum. They are shaped, in very practical ways, by the workplace.

At our company, we did not set out to address fertility or even caregiving directly. Our focus was simpler: to enable everyone to do their best work.

As a small team of 14, we are collectively primary or secondary caregivers for 12 children, five elderly parents and four pets. Almost everyone is a caregiver in some form.

This meant redesigning work around their reality, rather than a revenue target.

A few deliberate changes followed. We introduced a 35-hour work week, recognising that time is often the scarcest resource. This initiative, piloted in August 2023, has since become a permanent feature.

We implemented hybrid work – three days in the office, one-and-a-half days remote, and a half-day intentionally left free. We try to be flexible where it matters.

A new father was given an additional month of remote work beyond his paternity leave. A returning mother was promoted based on the performance she delivered before going on maternity leave. Pet owners can take up to three days of caregiving leave if they need to bring their dog or cat to the vet.

The impact of flexibility

These are not radical policies, but practical adjustments. Our results are clear and suggest that there is no trade-off between flexibility and performance.

Absenteeism has fallen by about 20 per cent. Revenue has grown without increasing headcount. Employee engagement remains high while churn is lower than the industry average.

More importantly, people feel that they can manage both their work and their responsibilities beyond the workplace. That includes caregiving.

When people are given the time and space to meet their caregiving responsibilities, they are better positioned to manage their professional and personal commitments over the long term.

And when caregiving feels manageable, starting or growing a family becomes a more realistic decision.

This is why a narrow focus on fertility risks missing the point.

Financial incentives, parental leave and childcare subsidies are indeed important. Yet, they do not fully address the underlying tension many working adults feel – that caregiving and career progression are fundamentally at odds.

For too long, caregiving has been treated as a competing activity, something that takes away from work, rather than a fundamental responsibility that employees carry.

Until that tension is reduced, it is difficult to see how birth rates will meaningfully shift.

Making space for caregiving

Our experience as a small team without extensive resources suggests that small adjustments can deliver meaningful outcomes for both people and performance.

Employers have a key role to play: recognising that caregiving is a mainstream reality – for many employees.

Designing workplaces around that reality, with more flexibility and more trust, may be one of the most practical steps we can take, especially in a society where caregiving responsibilities are only set to increase.

If more organisations begin to do so, the impact could extend beyond employee well-being. It may also influence people’s confidence about starting families.

Singapore’s fertility challenge is complex, and there are no single solutions. If we want a different outcome, we must define the right problem. That includes asking whether our system makes having children a viable choice.

The way work is structured must keep up with how people live.

The writer is managing director of Grayling Singapore