Work-life balance? Know trade-offs too, PM Lee says

SINGAPORE - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has sought to inject some balance in the national preoccupation with work-life balance, warning Singaporeans that competitors are out to steal their lunch.

At a televised forum on Tuesday night, he said the idea of work-life balance has become so popular it is now a tag phrase.

"They call it a meme on the Internet," he said, adding that people who used the phrase did not seem quite sure what they meant by it except that they would like more free time and less stress.

It was also not clear if people knew the trade-offs, he said.

"If you look at other countries: Vietnam, China, even in India, they're not talking about work-life balance; they are hungry, anxious, about to steal your lunch. So I think I'd better guard my lunch."

He did not agree with the generalisation that younger people want an easy life.

"I would not write off young people," he said. "I think there are a lot of very hard-working young people and very altruistic young people who do a lot of good work beyond themselves."

Among the questions he fielded during a one-hour broadcast on Channel NewsAsia was one on who would foot the bill for new policies to increase support for the vulnerable members of society.

He said the State cannot pay for all the measures and that individuals and the community have to play their part.

Singapolitics did a similar exercise last year with PM Lee. For more on our "Ask the PM" series, click here.

Here's what he said to work-life balance then.

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