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Coffeeshop Chit Chat - mp ho geok choo says No to more PHs</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right>
Subscribe </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgF width="1%" noWrap align=right>From: </TD><TD class=msgFname width="68%" noWrap>teh_si <NOBR></NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate width="30%" noWrap align=right>8:45 am </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT height=20 width="1%" noWrap align=right>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname width="68%" noWrap>ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 7) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft rowSpan=4 width="1%"> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>23321.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>'In my view, declaring more public holidays could seriously undermine our competitiveness and make our businesses suffer by pushing up their costs.' Madam Ho Geok Choo, president of the Singapore Human Resources Institute
But how come Hong Kong has 17 public holidays versus Singapore's 11. and they are still doing well?
Btw today is public holiday in HK.. Chung Yeung Festival
==
Oct 26, 2009
working life
Public holidays: How S'pore compares
S'pore is below average with 11, though Australia and US have even fewer
By Jeanette Wang
SINGAPORE and its citizens are known to top the world in all sorts of rankings, from free trade and port facilities to education.
But when it comes to public holidays, the Republic comes in below average.
Singapore has 11 days of gazetted public holidays annually to celebrate various national and religious events.
A check of 195 countries and 50 regions found that most places have as many or more breaks.
Just 51 countries and regions have fewer public holidays, including major nations such as Britain, Australia and the United States.
Even the work-obsessed Japanese have 17, business hub Hong Kong has 18 and international powerhouse China has 22, while Iranians top the list with 30.
And these numbers refer to only the vacations that apply across the board in a particular country. Most nations or regions have additional holidays specific to religious, municipal or professional groups. India, for example, has 63 public holidays - but only three at the national level.
So why does Singapore have only 11?
The public holidays, according to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), were 'chosen and agreed upon after close consultation with different community and religious leaders in Singapore'.
An MOM spokesman said other factors were taken into account: the impact on business costs as well as statutory leave provided for under the Employment Act.
Some religious holidays - such as Thaipusam, Easter Monday and the Birthday of Prophet Muhammad - were dropped from the list of public holidays years ago to improve business competitiveness.
Some people whom The Straits Times spoke to felt that 11 was the right number.
'When you're in a fast-moving, constantly busy and expensive society, it's pretty tough to slow down and not work,' explained Ms Geneve Soh, 31, a mother of one who works in sales.
Associate Professor Tan Hwee Hoon - whose research at the Singapore Management University's Lee Kong Chian School of Business focuses on organisational behaviour and human resources - noted that the new years of Singapore's three major racial groups were already being celebrated.
Even so, many others want more.
A campaign by online travel agent Zuji Singapore, which ended last month, garnered 5,616 votes to petition for another public holiday. Among the company's reasons for the campaign: Well-rested employees are more productive.
'We're working too hard,' said student Shaun Chong, 24.
For service officer Vivian Wang, 27, the ideal number of holidays would be between 15 and 20. She suggested adding a day each to the Chinese New Year, Hari Raya and Deepavali holidays, to give families more bonding time.
While more breaks could help increase productivity, Prof Tan warned of diminishing returns.
'It does get hard to start work again after a long break,' she noted.
Madam Ho Geok Choo, the president of the Singapore Human Resources Institute and an MP for West Coast GRC, questioned whether Singapore could afford more holidays.
'In my view, declaring more public holidays could seriously undermine our competitiveness and make our businesses suffer by pushing up their costs,' said Madam Ho, who is also the managing director of Human Power Advisory Pte Ltd.
Switzerland - which topped the World Economic Forum's global competitiveness report, published last month - has 10 public holidays. Of the other countries ranked among the 10 most competitive - with Singapore ranked No. 3 - eight have 13 or fewer public holidays. Japan, in eighth place, is the exception with 17.
However, if annual leave is factored in, the difference in time off work widens.
A study published in the International Journal of Health Services last year found that some of the world's richest countries, such as Finland, Sweden and Denmark, mandate 25 days of annual leave. Australia and New Zealand dictate 20 days, Germany 24 and France 30.
In Singapore, those with 14 or fewer days of annual leave accounted for nearly three out of five full-time employees last year, MOM statistics show. Under one in 10 had more than 21 days, while the remainder had between 15 and 21 days.
Need more time off? Kelly Services' Asia-Pacific senior vice-president, Mr Dhirendra Shantilal, offered a solution.
He suggested that employers could 'implement more flexible working arrangements, which should contribute to the overall well-being of employees and their families'.
Interestingly, every now and then, Singaporeans do get their wish for an extra public holiday granted.
Every 32 or 33 years, Hari Raya Puasa is celebrated twice a year, according to Associate Professor Helmer Aslaksen at the National University of Singapore's Department of Mathematics. Thus, in 1968 and 2000, Singapore had 12 public holidays.
For those wanting to take advantage of long weekends to get away, next year is a good year, with eight public holidays falling on a Sunday, Monday or Friday.
Still, sometimes, there can be too much of a good thing. As the late American writer and philosopher Elbert Hubbard put it: 'No man needs a vacation so much as the person who has just had one.'
[email protected]
==
MORE TIME OFF COULD HURT COMPETITIVENESS
'In my view, declaring more public holidays could seriously undermine our competitiveness and make our businesses suffer by pushing up their costs.'
Madam Ho Geok Choo, president of the Singapore Human Resources Institute
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
But how come Hong Kong has 17 public holidays versus Singapore's 11. and they are still doing well?
Btw today is public holiday in HK.. Chung Yeung Festival
==
Oct 26, 2009
working life
Public holidays: How S'pore compares
S'pore is below average with 11, though Australia and US have even fewer
By Jeanette Wang
SINGAPORE and its citizens are known to top the world in all sorts of rankings, from free trade and port facilities to education.
But when it comes to public holidays, the Republic comes in below average.
Singapore has 11 days of gazetted public holidays annually to celebrate various national and religious events.
A check of 195 countries and 50 regions found that most places have as many or more breaks.
Just 51 countries and regions have fewer public holidays, including major nations such as Britain, Australia and the United States.
Even the work-obsessed Japanese have 17, business hub Hong Kong has 18 and international powerhouse China has 22, while Iranians top the list with 30.
And these numbers refer to only the vacations that apply across the board in a particular country. Most nations or regions have additional holidays specific to religious, municipal or professional groups. India, for example, has 63 public holidays - but only three at the national level.
So why does Singapore have only 11?
The public holidays, according to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), were 'chosen and agreed upon after close consultation with different community and religious leaders in Singapore'.
An MOM spokesman said other factors were taken into account: the impact on business costs as well as statutory leave provided for under the Employment Act.
Some religious holidays - such as Thaipusam, Easter Monday and the Birthday of Prophet Muhammad - were dropped from the list of public holidays years ago to improve business competitiveness.
Some people whom The Straits Times spoke to felt that 11 was the right number.
'When you're in a fast-moving, constantly busy and expensive society, it's pretty tough to slow down and not work,' explained Ms Geneve Soh, 31, a mother of one who works in sales.
Associate Professor Tan Hwee Hoon - whose research at the Singapore Management University's Lee Kong Chian School of Business focuses on organisational behaviour and human resources - noted that the new years of Singapore's three major racial groups were already being celebrated.
Even so, many others want more.
A campaign by online travel agent Zuji Singapore, which ended last month, garnered 5,616 votes to petition for another public holiday. Among the company's reasons for the campaign: Well-rested employees are more productive.
'We're working too hard,' said student Shaun Chong, 24.
For service officer Vivian Wang, 27, the ideal number of holidays would be between 15 and 20. She suggested adding a day each to the Chinese New Year, Hari Raya and Deepavali holidays, to give families more bonding time.
While more breaks could help increase productivity, Prof Tan warned of diminishing returns.
'It does get hard to start work again after a long break,' she noted.
Madam Ho Geok Choo, the president of the Singapore Human Resources Institute and an MP for West Coast GRC, questioned whether Singapore could afford more holidays.
'In my view, declaring more public holidays could seriously undermine our competitiveness and make our businesses suffer by pushing up their costs,' said Madam Ho, who is also the managing director of Human Power Advisory Pte Ltd.
Switzerland - which topped the World Economic Forum's global competitiveness report, published last month - has 10 public holidays. Of the other countries ranked among the 10 most competitive - with Singapore ranked No. 3 - eight have 13 or fewer public holidays. Japan, in eighth place, is the exception with 17.
However, if annual leave is factored in, the difference in time off work widens.
A study published in the International Journal of Health Services last year found that some of the world's richest countries, such as Finland, Sweden and Denmark, mandate 25 days of annual leave. Australia and New Zealand dictate 20 days, Germany 24 and France 30.
In Singapore, those with 14 or fewer days of annual leave accounted for nearly three out of five full-time employees last year, MOM statistics show. Under one in 10 had more than 21 days, while the remainder had between 15 and 21 days.
Need more time off? Kelly Services' Asia-Pacific senior vice-president, Mr Dhirendra Shantilal, offered a solution.
He suggested that employers could 'implement more flexible working arrangements, which should contribute to the overall well-being of employees and their families'.
Interestingly, every now and then, Singaporeans do get their wish for an extra public holiday granted.
Every 32 or 33 years, Hari Raya Puasa is celebrated twice a year, according to Associate Professor Helmer Aslaksen at the National University of Singapore's Department of Mathematics. Thus, in 1968 and 2000, Singapore had 12 public holidays.
For those wanting to take advantage of long weekends to get away, next year is a good year, with eight public holidays falling on a Sunday, Monday or Friday.
Still, sometimes, there can be too much of a good thing. As the late American writer and philosopher Elbert Hubbard put it: 'No man needs a vacation so much as the person who has just had one.'
[email protected]
==
MORE TIME OFF COULD HURT COMPETITIVENESS
'In my view, declaring more public holidays could seriously undermine our competitiveness and make our businesses suffer by pushing up their costs.'
Madam Ho Geok Choo, president of the Singapore Human Resources Institute
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