Work-Life Balance

Singaporeans are hard-working people, period.

We are one of the most hardworking people in the world. Just look at the nhmber of public holidays we get per year. 11, a measly 11. Far behind what our neighbors enjoy. Even the industrious Japanese get something like 18 days.

We don't work 9 to 5. We work 8 to 6. Some leave home before the sun rises and gets home after the sun sets, leaving precious little for social, personal and family time. One of those precious holidays is the Lunar New Year, where the streets and malls of our sunny island gets practically deserted.

We work so hard that sometimes we forget about those important things in life. Things far more important than work, such as family, health and friends. You see, some of us feel the burdened by the responsibilities of work, that we neglect the reasons we work.

My boss gave me a piece of advice which I hold. He said, "Work is work. No matter whether you are here or not, work carries on. No one is indispensible, anywhere. If something happens to you today, tomorrow, someone else will take over your work. Always remember the reasons why you work and who you are doing this work for. It should never be for your employer, cos your employer will not take care of you when you are sick. At the most, you get condolences and a wreath."

Which brings me to why I am feeling aggrieved. My 2 yr old had a bout of fever and upset stomach leading to vomitting and diarrhoea. Things got worse on the day after the 2 days of Lunar New Year. I was already at the office when I got the call thay he vomitted twice and shit his pants twice. I took 2 days off.

My other half decided she could only take time off work on Thursday and went back to work after accompanying my son and I to the doc. Now, I have no qualms taking care of my kids on my own, I really don't. However, the reason for her not taking the day off for her sick son really bothered me.

Worse to follow was me having to do all the housework till 2am, including washing, airing and folding laundry till 2am while she slept from 10pm really got to me. Not only that, I vacuumed and mopped the whole house on account of my sick son. Her reason for not taking care of our son was that she got tons of work to do and can ill-afford the tine away from work.

If that is not hardworking, I don't know what is. For now, I am just keeping score.