Crafting better workspaces for women and mothers

/ EdgeProp Singapore |

February 22, 2023 12:00 AM SGT

Some corporate employers provide Trehaus memberships for their employees who have children. (Picture: Samuel Isaac Chua/The Edge Singapore)

Over the past decade or so, offices have gravitated towards being more inclusive spaces for working professionals. They include working parents, mothers and women in the workplace. For companies that can afford an extensive refit, contemporary office plans include family-friendly facilities like nursing rooms.

However, many local companies cannot spare the space or financial expense to retrofit their office or relocate. Ahead of the International Women’s Day on March 8, the latest episode of Real As State, by EdgeProp Singapore, takes a look at what companies could do to better support women and working parents.

Trehaus, a co-working and childcare operator in Funan mall, boasts the only shared space of its kind that is close to the CBD. It is one of the first local co-working space operators that cater exclusively to working parents with preschool children.

Curated spaces for working parents

“The saying goes that it takes a village to raise a child, and we wanted to create this modern village for like-minded parents to come together, work and raise their children in the same space while integrating work and family life,” says Elizabeth Wu, co-founder of Trehaus.

Trehaus is a 12,000 sq ft co-working and preschool space in Funan mall. It opened there in August 2019. (Picture: Samuel Isaac Chua/The Edge Singapore)

She adds that this type of working environment catered for working parents with toddlers or preschool children is rare in Singapore.

Trehaus has long attracted enquiries from employers and employees. These employers are a mix of multinational corporates, small and medium enterprises, as well as entrepreneurial founders, says Wu.

“More corporates are cognisant of the need to retain and attract the right employees, and talent retention is a priority for them. Many of the most qualified employees are working parents,” she says.

Wu adds that having a shared co-working space like Trehaus means that companies do not need to lease a separate space for working parents or build a nursing room or child-friendly facilities within their own office space.

“This enables companies to retain their talents, especially when they become parents and start families,” says Wu. “In addition, membership with Trehaus comes with intrinsic benefits such as a strong network of like-minded working parents who are in the same stage of life.”

The centrepiece of the Trehaus preschool is a large play area for children. (Picture: Samuel Isaac Chua/The Edge Singapore)

She adds that many parents who send their child to preschool at Trehaus appreciate the home-to-school partnership that Trehaus offers, as well as the reassurance that they can be close to their child while they are working.

“This space allows them to pop in between meetings to be with their child or take them out for meals. Some even take time to read with their child when they can,” says Wu.

Diversity, equity and inclusion

At the same time, more companies are aware of the need to create more inclusive workspaces. A leading supporter of this trend in Singapore is real estate consultancy JLL, which has incorporated inclusivity into the design of its office space at Paya Lebar Quarter.

“There are two ways that companies can create more inclusive office environments. First is the physical space, followed by the diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) component,” says Grit Henoch, senior director, project and development services APAC, at JLL. She is also the immediate past chairperson of JLL’s internal women’s network, a support group of about 700 women employees at JLL APAC.

DE&I is a framework that champions the fair treatment and full inclusion of people in the workplace, such as those subjected to discrimination and under-representation.

There are two ways that companies can create more inclusive office environments. First is the physical space, followed by the diversity, equity and inclusion, says JLL. (Picture: Samuel Isaac Chua/The Edge Singapore)

Henoch, an expectant mother, points out that dedicated nursing rooms can be found in each of JLL’s office locations.

She adds: “For me as a soon-to-be mother, I would like to be able to move around the office easily, and sit in an ergonomic chair. Other options that would be good for me include the option to stand at my desk, or have cushions on some of the other workspaces around the office.”

Henoch says that JLL, which has more than 100,000 employees across 80 countries, is a people-centric business and DE&I is at the core of its workplace strategy. The internal women’s network that she used to chair is an avenue for greater representation of women in the workplace.

Attracting employees back to the office

The pandemic experience forced many companies to roll out widespread work-from-home arrangements. An entrenched office-centric culture gave way to flexible working arrangements that have persisted in a post-pandemic environment.

Henoch says that some employers are struggling to convince their employees to return to the office, and to make the office environment more productive.

According to a recent JLL survey of working professionals worldwide, about 60% of individuals want to have the ability to determine for themselves where, how and when they are most productive. “So, there is no one-size-fits-all type of office arrangement,” she says.

The office as a workspace is competing with the comfort of the home as employers seek to make offices more productive spaces. (Picture: Samuel Isaac Chua/The Edge Singapore)

Although office and workplace design has improved by leaps and bounds over the last decade, there are more ways in which the working environment can be rendered more inclusive, especially for women and working mothers, says Henoch.

“We need to acknowledge first that workplace design is at different stages for different companies. But in my view, future office design needs to consider beyond the four walls of the office unit. It must involve landlords and the surrounding community as well,” she says.

Henoch adds that coming into the office needs to be purpose-filled and productive as the workplace now competes with the alluring comfort of the home environment. “I see this as a focus of office design in the coming years,” she asserts.

Watch the full interviews on our latest episode of Real As State, available on EdgeProp Singapore’s Facebook and YouTube pages, on Feb 24

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