While ‘Eat With Your Family Day’ may appear as a step towards work-life balance, it reveals a deeper issue: the overwork and lack of genuine family time in our modern work culture.
Eat With Your Family Day’ (EWYFD), a quarterly initiative launched by the Centre for Fathering (CFF) in 2003, aims to promote family bonding by encouraging employees to leave work early on the last Friday of each school term. It is a feel-good idea that, on the surface, appears to champion family values, but beneath this well-meaning gesture lies a stark reflection of the work-life imbalance many face.
The first EWYFD of the year takes place on March 14th, and participating companies like Eu Yan Sang International and City Developments Ltd (CDL) will allow employees to leave work early at 5 PM to enjoy dinner with their families. While these gestures are appreciated by many, they raise critical questions about the real state of family time in our society. Are these token gestures enough to counterbalance the underlying pressures that prevent families from regularly sitting down to dinner together?
Testimonies from participants reveal a stark reality. One employee from CDL expressed gratitude for the early release, describing it as a chance for their family to come together. “It has become such a joy that my children look forward to Eat with Your Family Day and will constantly remind us when the date draws near!” However, this occasional break points to a larger issue: the fact that such family meals are not a part of regular life for many.
Singapore’s average full-time employee works around 44 hours a week, far longer than most of their neighbours in the Asia Pacific region. With only 11 paid public holidays each year, the concept of family time becomes increasingly rare. According to a 2021 survey, 70% of parents with young children said they are too busy to enjoy quality time with their kids. Work culture seems to have evolved into an obsession, with many parents feeling that their worth is tied to their productivity, leaving little room for family connections.
This systemic imbalance is mirrored in the findings of a 2023 Randstad study, where 41% of employees expressed the desire to leave their jobs in search of better work-life balance. However, work-life balance remains a buzzword, with limited practical solutions being offered by employers. While many companies endorse initiatives like EWYFD, they rarely commit to deeper, systemic changes, such as offering flexible work arrangements or promoting a four-day work week.
Companies may provide wellness days or mental health initiatives, but these measures often serve as temporary fixes rather than addressing the root cause of burnout. Despite some progress, such as an increase in flexible work arrangements, many businesses continue to demand that employees return to the office full-time, reinforcing the notion that work takes priority over personal time.
Ultimately, what’s needed is a cultural shift. Employers must move beyond viewing employees as mere resources to be maximised. The odd hours off for a family meal every quarter will not be enough to create meaningful change. Employees deserve real time off to enjoy life, without the looming expectation of being always available. Until there is a cultural change towards work-life integration, family time will remain a fleeting privilege for only a few, and not an everyday reality.
