Singapore's prosperity comes at a terrible price

Letter from Lee Seck Kay, Straits Times Forum 7 Jan 08;

IT CANNOT be doubted that Singaporeans have embraced the work ethic with gusto, and the payback is obvious in the general prosperity of the country. They have done the country proud.

Of late, however, there are telltale signs of an unhealthy trend, with work becoming a diversion from other life challenges and precipitating in health and social consequences that we can do without.

The trend has been long in coming. With economic growth comes income disparity, and as the rich get most of the fruits of this growth, the lower and middle classes get two income earners and long hours at work, for their real income has more or less stagnated due to decline in the purchasing power of the dollar.

Thus, many nine-to-five wage earners no longer work from nine to five. If you are in downtown Singapore on a week night, you'll probably see many skyscrapers still lit from within on most floors, even as late as 9.30pm. They are still not done with the day's work at the office. They have to work, they have no choice.

Morning session teachers leave home at 7am (many much earlier) and are not home until well past 7pm. Afternoon teachers ditto. Teachers in single session schools work equally long hours. It seems that to teach less the teachers have to work more, all in the name of performance. Like the office workers, they have no choice.

Workers in electronic processing plants across the island are not spared either. Most work on shift and many welcome overtime to maintain high productivity. They have no choice either.

This is worrisome. For the vast majority, time is sucked out of the home and pumped into work. Work has become an obsession in what can clearly be termed 24/7: The idea that we work, or are able to work, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Not to work is folly.

In addition, many in the business world can never really get away from the office on weekends and holidays, and indeed are not expected to. The vast expansion of worldwide communications - cellphones, e-mail and so on - makes this new work ethic possible and widespread.

All this has unpleasant and inescapable consequences: work stress-related ailments, psychosomatic illnesses, lack of fitness, loss of sleep, improper eating habits, reduced quality time with spouse and children, social isolation, joyless vacations... the list goes on.

'Have more than two children, if you can afford it'? You must be joking. And you can almost hear them blurt: We haven't time to find a mate, we won't have time for children, we both work, we need to build our careers first, etcetera. Sounds familiar?

Most telling of all is the disconcerting news that many Singaporeans are leading sexually inactive lives (Mmm.). Now, correlation may not amount to a cause, but the new work ethic must bear some of the blame for totally distracting us from this most natural of human impulses.

Looking ahead, there seems to be no respite in sight. With price increases of essential commodities outstripping inflation, and at best a 'cautiously optimistic' year ahead, all except the rich can expect to face a disquieting contradiction - more tightening of the belt in the midst of plenty.

Will there ever be a genuinely good time that would increase our real income without all the attendant ills? I don't know. Suffice to say, though, that if the answer is 'no', then while we may remain the envy of lesser nations, our prosperity will continue to exact a terrible toll on all who want or have to work long hours to make ends meet, timely rebates and subsidies notwithstanding.

Just the same, all the best for 2008.