More than half of mothers in three Southeast Asia countries told an annual poll that they were struggling to balance the demands of work and family.
In the Philippines, 58% of mothers surveyed said they were suffering from work-life imbalance, while the figure was 53% in Malaysia and 57% in Singapore. The survey #SheMakesItWork was conducted by Monster.com, an online hiring firm.
A majority of respondents in the Philippines (59%), Malaysia (58%) and Singapore (77%) said they felt they had missed job opportunities as they chose to have a family. A large majority of mothers in the Philippines (92%), Malaysia (85%) and Singapore (90%) want a better work-life balance.
In the Philippines, about half of mothers had to quit their jobs as the employee benefits did not meet their expectations, while 37% said they wanted more flexible work provisions in line with mothers’ needs and expectations.
In Singapore, 82% of new mothers are reluctant to return to work because of a lack of flexible working options. In Malaysia, three in five new mothers are worried about finding good childcare.
A lack of flexible working arrangements (32%) and struggling to balance demands from clients and colleagues as well as family life (58%) were some of the answers provided by working women and new mothers when asked about challenges faced at work, according to the survey, which was conducted on more than 2,600 women across Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore in celebration of Mother’s Day on May 13.
