About 210 companies in Singapore have been committed in providing family-friendly workplace options for their workforce on Aug 31 this year, said Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee on Saturday (Aug 11).

As part of a series of initiatives aiming to encourage more Singaporeans to focus on their families, more firms have pledged their support for Families for Life’s annual My Family Weekend. For one day, employees of the participating companies can enjoy various programs such as company-organised family day, bring their children to work, or even choose to leave early from work.

With the number of participating companies has doubled from last year when the initiatives were first rolled out, this indicates a growing awareness of the importance of strong family life for employees. Announcing the initiative during the Celebrating RSAF50 picnic organised by Families for Life at the Marina Barrage, Mr. Lee said, “All these measures set the tone in the workplace that family life is important, and if your family is strong, you will be able to work well in the office.”

The council chairman for Families for Life, Mr. Ching Wei Hong added that the measures also aim to tackle challenges that families in Singapore commonly face. According to him, one key challenge is that many employees feel they are time-starved. As it becomes more common to find both parents to be working in today’s society while juggling between home and work duties, it becomes critical for employers to provide support for work-life integration.

More than 1,600 families were present at the event, which featured a commemorative flypast by the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF). The RSAF is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. More than 20 aircraft were showcased by the aerial display, including two helicopters performing aerial manoeuvres together for the first time, Straits Times reports.

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