New survey reveals 77% of Filipino working moms prefer remote work to have work-life balance
A new survey revealed that a majority of Filipino working moms prefer having a remote and flexible work arrangement to find a balance between their work and their responsibilities to their families.
Survey software company Milieu Insight conducted polls answered by 3,000 working mothers across Southeast Asia covering Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, The Philippines, and Thailand.
Their findings reveal that 6 in 10 women in Southeast Asia struggle to manage both their work and family commitments, resulting in them striving to learn time management techniques to balance professional and personal demands.
Another challenge that became evident is the overwhelming burden of self-care due to the relentless demands of work and home life.
About 42% of Singaporeans and Vietnamese women report experiencing difficulty in taking care of their own health to prioritize while juggling the demands of work and home, exceeding the regional average of 31%.
Another 44% said that they wish more people understood the difficulties they face as a working mother.
According to the respondents, a healthy work-life balance is much needed, with 53% of working mothers feeling neutral or dissatisfied with their country’s maternity leave policy.
"Providing adequate resources for self-care and promoting a culture of wellness can help alleviate the strain on working mothers and contribute to their overall job satisfaction and productivity," Milieu Insight stated.
Meanwhile, one out of five respondents shared that being a mother has had an "adverse impact" on their career, with the highest percentage being in Singapore at 40%. The survey associates this with how 66% of working mothers in the region bear significant household responsibilities such as childcare, cleaning, and cooking.
Because of these challenges, more than half of working mothers in Southeast Asia adopt time management techniques to help alleviate their work-life issues, at 55%.
A majority of mothers in the Philippines and Singapore believe that having a remote work arrangement would enhance work-life balance and career growth, at 77% and 75% respectively. Overall, 68% of respondents in Southeast Asia agree with this.
Milieu Insight suggests that through "inclusivity, flexibility, and support," workplaces can create a "nurturing environment where women could excel in their professional roles while fulfilling their duties as mothers."