Community 
KPMG LLP, Philips Electronics Singapore and Standard Chartered Bank tell dadsforlife.sg why helping the fathers in their companies harmonise work and family commitments, results in higher productivity and better organisational performance.
“We are sponsoring seats for the DadsforLife conference as we believe that a father has an important role to play in the lives of their children and this will have a positive impact on our employees.”
Mr D M Arulraj, Regional Head of Human Resources, Singapore and Southeast Asia, Standard Chartered Bank
“…More and more we hear dads also talking about balancing family and work life, and as a Company, we would like to provide support to the extent possible. We believe that a harmonious home and family life is the bedrock for a productive and positive workforce.”
Ms Milagros Perez, Director, Human Resources Department, Philips Electronics Singapore
“KPMG intends to generate greater awareness and encourage employee participation in DadsforLife events. We are also distributing Dads for Life toolkits to KPMG fathers.
We aim to make DadsforLife a long-term initiative and will bring on broad the senior management to participate in feedback sessions on parenting-related issues and programmes.”
Mr Philip Lee, Head of People, Performance & Culture, Human Resources Department, KPMG LLP
Staying Engaged in Family & at Work
An organisation’s performance is strongly intertwined with the well-being of its employees. Employees with good family lives are more likely to be committed and engaged at the workplace.
Correspondingly, employers who are committed to helping their employees harmonise work and family commitments benefit from an evident increase in productivity and organisational performance. As such, employers serve as a great source of inspiration and support in building strong families.
Committed to help their staff build resilient families, KPMG LLP, Philips Electronics Singapore and Standard Chartered Bank are showing full support for the fathers in their midst, by encouraging them to attend the DadsforLife Conference on Friday 14 May 2010, from 2.30 to 6.30 pm.
They are truly walking their talk by encouraging their employees to attend the DadsforLife Conference on a work day. Nonetheless, the human resource departments know it will be well worth it, considering the commendable panel of conference speakers lined up for the event.
The DadsforLife Conference brings together both international experts on fatherhood and family relationships. Josh McDowell, James Thomas, and a local panel of fathers and fatherhood supporters will share about transformational relationships with their children and fathering strategies.
KPMG LLP –Supporting the Needs of Fathers
KPMG LLP is encouraging the company’s employees to attend the event because it recognises that high performance and productivity are sustainable only if its people are happy and have a healthy work-life balance.
“As employers, we believe in the need to help create a workplace that supports the needs of fathers,” said Mr Philip Lee, Head of People, Performance & Culture, Human Resources Department.
This is achieved by providing a work environment which encourages professional and personal development, KPMG LLP.
As such, the company has invested in training to improve productivity of all its staff, and is constantly looking for ways to streamline and improve work processes. KPMG LLP also has in place work-life programmes such as flexible work arrangements and employee support programmes.
To encourage family cohesiveness, the KPMG Recreation Club organises activities such as parenting talks, the KPMG Sports and Family Day, KPMG Beach Party and KPMG Movie Mornings.
Philips Electronics Singapore –Harmonising Family & Work Life
Fathers, who are working at Philips Electronic Singapore, know they have full support from their employer to take time off to attend the upcoming DadsforLife Conference.
According to Ms Milagros Perez, Director, Human Resources Department, more and more fathers are talking about balancing family and work-life. Therefore, the company would like to provide support to the greatest extent possible.
Said Ms Perez: “By allowing work options where it makes sense, and providing educational and awareness talks on how to balance our domestic and work responsibilities, we believe we help bring about each employee’s dual objective: to have a successful career and a happy home life.”
Going forward, the company plans to organise lunchtime talks for fathers on topics around family responsibilities and how to connect better with kids. Other topics to be covered at include building emotional and mental wellness, managing stress and work-life balance.
In July, the company will be holding a “Bring Your Kids to Work” activity, which will allow its staffs’ children to know where Mum and Dad go to work every day. By providing an opportunity for all to meet, they also hope to build a social network among the staff and their children.
Standard Chartered Bank – Believing that Dads are Important
Standard Chartered Bank is sponsoring seats for the DadsforLife Conference as the company recognises that fathers have an important role to play their children’s lives.
“We believe in creating a supportive and family-friendly workplace where employees are better able to maintain work-life harmony,” said Mr D M Arulraj, Regional Head of Human Resources, Singapore and Southeast Asia, Standard Chartered Bank.
He added: “These initiatives are integral in helping our employees manage family and personal commitments alongside workplace responsibilities to maximise their potential and perform their best.”
Other family-oriented events initiatives include flexi-work arrangements, paternity leave, and paid family-care leave for those who are also caregivers at home. The company also introduced ‘Happy Friday’ to encourage its staff to leave the office early one Friday each month, to spend time with the family.
In April, over 3,000 staff and their families attended the company’s family day at the Marina Barrage. This June, the company will be organising Kids at Work Day for the staff to bring their children to the workplace so they can better understand what their parents do.
Submit your own dad story here and we will do our best to publish it.
About the Author: The DadsforLife Resource Team comprises local content writers and experts, including psychologists, counsellors, educators and social service professionals, dedicated to developing useful resources for dads.
Show/hide comments
Show/hide comment formBack to Listing
