Employers say gender not a factor in retrenchment

With more job cuts expected during the economic crisis, some employers Channel NewsAsia spoke to said women employees do not face a higher chance of getting retrenched than men, simply because of their gender.

Some women employers said female employees are loyal, committed and give 160 per cent effort at work. And such saving graces help them stay in the workforce despite greater challenges in juggling career and family commitments.

One leading woman entrepreneur said different priorities during various life stages help women enjoy both work and family life.

Claire Chiang, senior vice-president, Banyan Tree Holdings, said: "At certain stage of your life, you take a pause or you move on, or you take a pause. And this is the woman's way.

"And we mustn't think, therefore, that this is a secondary way. Because the man is like going linear and we are going zigzagging. But by zigzagging, we have more opportunities to work smart and live well."

Ms Chiang was speaking at an event called "Women Mean Business - Celebrating International Women's Day 2009" on Friday.

Many at the event said talent, rather than gender, should be the factor for hiring.

Some players in the retail industry hire more women because of their aptitude for the service sector. But they admit it becomes a challenge when their staff have to juggle work and family commitments, especially when they start a family.

Elim Chew, president, 77th Street, said: "It's a little hard to manage for an SME because if they are important people, it's hard to let go of them for the next few months. If they are easily replaceable, then everybody is easily replaceable.

"But the thing is, because they are key people, then it's very hard for us to replace them because we always don't have enough people."

As for the impression that more women are being retrenched in Singapore than men, some at the event said that it is due to the fact that most of the layoffs currently occur in the lower ranks, which have more women than in the upper echelons.

- Channel News Asia