Singaporean Employees Gain Greater Work Schedule and Location Flexibility with New Guidelines

Announced on Monday, April 15th, by the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP), new guidelines will take effect from December 1st this year, Bloomberg reported.

TAFEP, established by Singapore's Ministry of Manpower, the National Trades Union Congress, and the Singapore National Employers Federation, introduced these guidelines, mandating all Singaporean firms to establish formal processes for employees to request flexible work arrangements, although they are not legally binding.

Outlined below are the key aspects of the new flexible work arrangements (FWAs):

Employees can formally request four-day work weeks, increased work-from-home (WFH) days, and staggered work timings. They can also seek flexible work locations.

Yeo Wan Ling, the co-chair of the Tripartite Workgroup, noted that access to flexible work arrangements is particularly vital for caregivers, female workers, and senior employees.

How will it operate?

All Singaporean firms must set up a mechanism for employees to submit FWA requests. While companies retain the right to reject requests, they cannot do so solely on the basis of tradition or a lack of belief in flexible work styles, as per TAFEP guidelines.

Employers can reject FWA requests only for specific reasons, such as:

Substantial negative impact on productivity Significant increase in costs Infeasibility due to job nature Rejecting requests based on company tradition or management preference against FWAs is not permissible.

If an employer is uncooperative or deliberately refuses to adhere to the new guidelines, the Ministry of Manpower may issue a warning and mandate corrective workshops, TODAY reported.

What prompted these new guidelines?

Firstly, Singapore's initiative aligns with a global shift towards more flexible work options, with governments mandating businesses to consider such requests.

This move could potentially benefit businesses by accelerating talent acquisition and boosting revenue.

More crucially, it addresses Singapore's specific challenges, including a tight labor market, an aging workforce, and the imperative to empower a diverse workforce, according to CNA.

Minister of State for Manpower Gan Siow Huang underscored the importance of flexible work arrangements for Singapore's future economic resilience, stating, "Flexible work arrangements have to be the way to go if we want to have a strong labor force in Singapore."