3E Accounting Interview On Capital 95.8FM Radio On Creating A Pro Family Workplace
Parenthood is one of the most amazingly fulfilling experiences in life. Yet many working parents find it a challenge to juggle work and family commitments. 3E Accounting’s founder, Lawrence Chai shared about the firm’s pro-family working environment in a recent interview on Capital 95.8FM. Lawrence also gave advice on how companies and co-workers can work together to help working parents, and the strategies to adopt when implementing family-friendly policies.
Work Life Harmony
Having worked 24 / 7 as an auditor previously in a mid-tier audit firm, Lawrence was determined that this would change when he started his own accounting firm in 2011. Lawrence was determined that all his employees would benefit from work-life balance. He shared about 3E Accounting’s leading pro-family practices such as staggered working hours and three weeks paternity leave, 50% more than statutory requirements, which were warmly welcomed by employees.
On top of flexible working arrangements, 3E Accounting’s employees are allowed to take time-off up to 3-hours to attend to urgent family matters. These range from attending parent-teacher conference meetings to dental appointments and the list goes on. When asked if such arrangements would affect the morale of employees who are not working parents themselves, Lawrence quipped, “This will encourage them to be productive and have children.” Family-friendly policies and the supportive culture at 3E Accounting has boosted morale, increased productivity, and enhanced work performance. “It’s important that co-workers who do not have children understand that having a child can affect your working life in many ways, and that working parents need space and support.” 3E Accounting’s support on the home front means employees are happier, more engaged, and more productive at work, which is good for business, Lawrence added. More importantly, progressive and pro-family policies have given 3E Accounting a leg up in attracting talent. Lawrence cited one of the firm’s recent hiring decisions where an IT expert, who was a working mother could choose to opt to work from home while taking care of her young children.
When asked where a company should start on the journey to creating a pro-family workplace, Lawrence said that a healthy attitude towards family-friendly policies begins right at the very top, with top management. He suggested that flexible working hours is an area where companies could consider starting with. “Companies can redesign their workflow and processes to implement the flexible working hours,” he added.
Work-life harmony is no longer just an appealing concept that is good to have. Healthy work-life balance has become one of the important elements that jobseekers look for, and employers who do not adopt such progressive practices risk being left behind by the future workforce.
