Work Policies that Empower Working Mothers and Caregivers

Mothers and caregivers often have to opt out of the workforce because of their many responsibilities. To celebrate International Women’s Day 2025, here are some policies to support working mothers and caregivers in their careers.

In statistics, women in the workforce ratio are generally lower than men’s. According to the OECD’s news release on the Labor Market situation, the employment and labor force participation (LFP) rate for women in Q3 2024 was only 67,1%, while it was 81% for men. While the report doesn’t mention the reason, the gender gap in employment has been an ongoing problem worldwide.

Over the decades, Singapore has made significant progress in minimizing this gap. According to the 2024 Progress on Singapore Women’s Development by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), the women resident employment rate has increased to 89% in 2023. There were clear efforts in providing equal opportunities in the workplace, for instance narrowing the gender pay gap, providing equal participation in politics and public life, and enabling women’s uller participation in the workplace.

Even so, the report referenced a 2022 survey on Quality of Life in Singapore, and found out that caregivers were still having lower overall quality of life compared to non-caregivers, with the majority of caregivers being women (60%). This highlights the need for further support for working women who also have caregiving responsibilities, be it for children or elderly parents.

In celebration of 2025 International Women’s Day on March 8th, here are some office policies that can support working mothers and caregivers in the workplace that you can adopt.

Flexible Work Arrangement

Establishing a flexible work arrangement for employees is the standard policy to support women with caregiving responsibilities. According to Forbes, a survey from the International Workplace group stated that 72% of US women said that they’ll have to leave their jobs if their employer eliminates the flexible hybrid policy. 

Clearly, flexible work arrangements offer a great benefit for women—or, anyone in general—with caregiving responsibilities. For instance, this policy offers flexibility to drop off and pick up kids at daycare, or escort elderly parents for the hospital check ups.

Mental Health Support

Women tend to be more responsible for household duties and tending children for their families. With the additional workload from their job, it’s easy for women to feel overwhelmed and burnt out at work. As a form of support, companies can provide mental health treatment for their employees, like counseling, medication management, or psychiatric hospitalization. Furthermore, create a safe environment at the office for employees to feel less judged and burdened.

Paid Parental Leave

Paid parental leave is necessary for supporting parents in having and raising children while still remaining in the workforce. By providing paid parental leave, companies allow mothers to recover from childbirth without financial strain. This leads to a better overall health outcomes for the mother and child. In Singapore, eligible working mothers can have up to 16 weeks leave, taken within 12 months from the child’s date of birth. Further details can be found on the MSF website.

Childcare Support

Aside from paid parental leave, companies can take their benefit further by providing childcare support such as childcare stipends, on-site daycare, or giving out vouchers related to childcare expenses. For single mothers or mothers whose husbands are also working, giving support like daycare may affect their working performance positively. The stress of balancing childcare and work will be greatly reduced, thus increasing their productivity and efficiency at work.

At the end of the day, providing employees’ needs is always beneficial for the company in the long run. Think of it as an investment to build a trustful and genuine connection with your employees. By providing support for mothers and caregivers, you are also improving your workplace productivity, reducing turnover rate, and ultimately boosting your employer branding.

Next read: Achieve Organizational Success Through Employee Career Growth