Rearing a child is expensive, mothers have it tougher.

Baby incentive fails to excite South Koreans
Govt's $88b plan to lift fertility rate does not tackle problem of social burden borne by women
By Lee Sun Young, for The Straits Times
9 Nov 2010

A classic example of the problems that plague an ageing population with stubbornly low birth rates.
Government support helps but often prove 2nd fiddle to family planning and societal pressure.


Flexi-hours: Will they do the job?
By Kim Ji Hyun, for The Straits Times
9 Nov 2010

Traditionally workaholic S. Korean firms explore flexi-hours.
I believe the success intrinsic-ly boils down to the job requirement and perspective of both the employers and employees.

Job Requirement
Service, production line where another can easily take over where you left off, sounds favourable to the flexi-hours work scheme. However, jobs which require continuous supervision by committed professionals, for examply in the research line, may not be that kind to flexi-hours.

Employers
Acceptance to the flexi-hours scheme and willingness to make concessions to fit the transition/ risk a temporary drop in productivity levels during initial stages of implementation.

Employees
Expectations of ascent in careers through promotions should not be first priority then. It is difficult to see how

From a corporate perspective bent on progress and sustained results, i believe that the flexi-hours holds too much uncertainty of bearing fruit, and risk incurring a bigger pool of employees whose benefits one have to look after. Not too feasible.

Let's study the Singapore aspect.
Aim:
How successful do firms find the implementation of flexi-hours working scheme for their productivity and profits margin?
How do employees find flexi-hours contributing to the bigger picture of the work and more importantly, their life?