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The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) published its press release on 16 April 2024 to introduce the 10 recommendations that were accepted by the Government on the Tripartite Guidelines for Flexible Work Arrangement Requests (TG-FWAR) developed by the Tripartite Workgroup. The 11-member Workgroup, which was formed in September 2023, had crafted a set of guidelines with the means to ensure Flexible Work Arrangement (FWA) requests will be considered in a practical manner, while taking into consideration both employees and business needs.
The mandatory guidelines which will come into effect on 1 December 2024, set out how employees can apply for formal FWA requests, and how employers should have a proper process to manage the FWA requests. More information on the Workgroup’s recommendations and the Guidelines can be found at go.gov.sg/twgreport and go.gov.sg/tgfwar respectively.
FWAs were adopted by companies around the world for decades and its success in the approach was further demonstrated during the Covid-19 pandemic where telecommuting was made mandatory for many employees, including Singapore. Following the pandemic, the Singapore Government sees the need for FWAs to address the pressing ongoing nation’s concern of a tight labour market and a rapidly ageing population, in addition to a low fertility rate.
FWAs have become an increasingly important component for employers to retain and attract a larger pool of talent. FWAs can help employees relieve stress and achieve work-life balance by allowing them to attend to their work responsibilities and at the same time, manage family-related commitments with minimised work disruptions. It also increases productivity as employees could make better use of time usually spent on commuting more effectively. Global surveys have shown that FWAs resulted in a more productive and engaging workforce, better career longevity and sees that employees are more likely to recommend others to work there.
While FWAs could be beneficial to both employers and employees, small businesses have raised concerns on the challenge of having fewer resources as well as a smaller workforce. With the FWAs in place, some employers are worried that their employees’ response speed could be affected. They may also need to hire more foreign workers who could work longer hours at lower manpower costs. If FWAs become the norm, employers can hire remotely, and this may reduce their dependence on the local employees.
For effective and sustainable implementation of the FWAs, employers and employees will need to find mutually beneficial arrangements while maintaining workplace trust. Employees should be accountable for work deliverables and remain contactable and responsive while working from home. Employers should also communicate expectations clearly, while properly considering their employees’ FWAs requests.
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