Migrant workers in Singapore can arrange their own working hours, or even avoid having to go to work, which may be a good thing to come true by the end of this year.
Yesterday (April 16), the Ministry of Manpower released a major announcement. From December 1, employees can make a written request to their employer to arrange flexible working hours. The employer must reply in writing within two months whether or not to accept the application.
What is a flexible work arrangement?
Flexible Work Arrangements (FPAs) – working from home or remotely – mean employees don't have to come to work. In fact, there are three main aspects of flexible work arrangements: Remote Work, Flexi-Time and Flexi-Load.
Remote work locations
Employers can implement different types of flexible work arrangements depending on the circumstances. For example, employees are allowed to work from home and remotely, but the workload and hours remain the same.
Flexible working hours
Employers allow employees to stagger their commutes, compress the work week, allow them to complete their job duties in fewer working days, or work shifts, among other things. These arrangements do not affect the workload, but may adjust the number of hours worked.
Flexible workload
Employers share responsibilities through part-time or shared work to promote more people to participate in employment. This option will reduce the number of hours and workload of the employee, so the salary will also be reduced.
In June last year, a multinational survey released by UOB revealed that more than eight local employees wanted their companies to implement some form of flexible working arrangements, including working from home (21%), hybrid (39%) and flexible (25%), with only 16% willing to return to work around the clock.
Surveys show that younger employees are more likely to work from home or in a hybrid mode, and companies that adjust their organizational policies and remain flexible in hiring are expected to emerge from the fierce competition for talent.
In addition to flexible working arrangements, 80% of employees also want to implement a four-day work week.
The employer may refuse
However, alternatives could be explored
When applying for flexible work arrangements, employees must specify:
- The date on which the application was made
- The date on which the flexible work arrangement began and ended
- The type of flexible work arrangement chosen
- Reasons to apply for flexible work arrangements
The specific process and handling methods are also guided according to the announcement of the Ministry of Manpower.
There are three principles for flexible working arrangements:
1. Make it easier for employees to ask their employers for flexible work arrangements and ensure that they can do their jobs well under this arrangement;
2. Make flexible working arrangements acceptable to all, and clearly express support at all levels of management to avoid misunderstandings and misunderstandings that employers do not support them;
3. Provide employees with a clear understanding of the rules and conditions of flexible work arrangements, such as application eligibility, approval procedures, and performance evaluation indicators, so as to dispel employees' doubts that flexible work arrangements will affect promotion.
These guidelines are not legally binding, meaning that employers are not required to offer flexible working arrangements to their employees, and the final decision rests with the employer.
However, if the employee's application is denied, the employer must state the reasons and explore other alternatives with the employee.
If the employer does not seriously consider the request, the employee can seek help from the union or the Labour Fair and Good Employment Coalition (TAFEP). TAFEP will liaise with employers and guide and exhort them to follow the guidelines.
Netizens are in favor, but some are not optimistic
As soon as the news came out, it immediately aroused discussion among netizens.
Of course, the first thing is to raise your hands in favor and applaud.
Then there is the comment that the new policy is not optimistic. This netizen said that employees can apply for this arrangement, but the employer may not approve it, they will say "there are other people who will do it", that is, you don't want to do it, there are still people who can do it, and they can find a new person to take the place in minutes.
Some netizens said that employees can apply, but whether the boss approves it or not is another matter.
This netizen said that the more people work from home, the more car ownership permits and office rents will fall.
Employees make good use of their time
Employers effectively attract and retain talent
Minister of State for Education and Ministry of Manpower, Gan Xiaofang, said that flexible working arrangements are beneficial for both employees and employees, and flexible working arrangements can achieve a win-win situation for both employers and employees, not only helping employees to make better use of their time and reducing expenses such as commuting, but also encouraging mature employees to stay in employment, and allowing employers to attract and retain talent more effectively.
In Singapore, for example, there are more than 260,000 women aged between 25 and 64 who are unemployed due to various reasons such as family care responsibilities.
Coupled with the fact that the Singapore dollar exchange rate is in an advantageous position, it is believed that it will attract more foreigners to find jobs in Singapore. This is good news for neighbouring Malaysia, and the locals have one more reason to find a career here.
At that time, employees can also decide their own working hours by their current "employer" or "boss".
KS丨Editor
HQ丨Editor
Ministry of Manpower丨Source
Singapore's Ministry of Manpower, Facebook丨Source
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