In 2020, 1 in 6 Singaporeans are above the age of 65, and in 10 years’ time this ratio will raise to 1 in 4. Like most developed economies, Singapore is a greying population, and its eldercare needs will increase in coming years, meaning that its workforce of the future will need more flexible work arrangements in order to provide adequate care to the senior population.
At the same time, more and more individuals want the option of Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs), whether for childcare or eldercare, or just to achieve work-life balance.
On 16 April 2024, the Tripartite Alliance for Fair & Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) launched new guidelines to support FWAs. These guidelines will come into effect on 1 December 2024.
Employer Obligations
From 1 December 2024, employers are expected to implement a process (template) to manage formally submitted FWA requests. This does not mean that employers must accede to FWA requests; the request should be fairly evaluated and either granted or rejected based on business grounds.
The guidelines stipulate that a written response for acceptance, or rejection (with reasons) should be provided within two months. In the case of rejection, the employer is encouraged to continue engaging the employee in discussions about alternative work arrangements that could potentially meet the employee’s needs.
In implementing FWAs, employers are encouraged to select suitable FWAs that the company can accommodate, and communicate that these FWAs are available. Employers may also communicate the availability of FWAs to job applicants. Nevertheless, employers are not obliged to offer FWAs for jobseekers or staff under probation.
Read Also: Should Companies Start Introducing Work From Home HR Policies?
Different Types Of Flexible Work Arrangements
The first step to implementing FWAs is for the company to understand which types of FWAs are suitable for the company’s working circumstances.
FWAs are grouped broadly into three categories. Flexi-Place, Flexi-Time and Flexi-Load.
Flexi-Place
Flexi-place arrangements may include work-from-home or work-near-home (in a decentralised office) arrangements, which reduce or eliminate an employee’s travel time. Since employees are situated closer to home, this gives them some flexibility to fetch their children from school or respond quickly to caregiving needs from elderly dependents during the work day.
Work-from-home/work-near-home arrangements are suitable for jobs which do not require the employee’s physical presence. Meetings could be handled through apps such as Zoom so that colleagues can attend from various locations.
Flexi-Time
A Compressed Work Schedule is an example of a flexi-time schedule allows employees to choose to work the same number of hours within fewer days. For instance, an employee may opt to work 10 hours daily within a 4-day work week to achieve the same 40-hour work week as someone else who works 8 hours for 5 days.
Other examples of Flexi-Time FWAs include flexi-hours or flexi-shifts, where employees could choose to report to work later so that they have some time to send their children to school, but also leave work later to make up for it.
Flexi-time FWAs can be strategically mapped out so that the necessary staff can be present in the office during certain hours in the day to facilitate meetings or other collaborative work activities.
Flexi-time FWAs are by far the most versatile, and most jobs can work around the logistical constraints to provide some form of flexi-time FWA. Nevertheless, some jobs may have difficulty implementing flexi-time FWAs, especially for jobs which need staff to be present at specific times. For instance, a researcher may need to access the lab at specific times to collect data, or airline pilots who need to be present at specific times to prepare for flights.
Flexi-Load
Flexi-load FWAs are more complex to implement since workload is a lot harder to measure and fairly distribute, unlike time.
One example of flexi-load arrangements is Job Sharing, where two or more part-time employees share the responsibilities of a full-time employee. These part-time employees could be working on different days during the week or may divide the workload based on tasks. Some overlap may be required to maintain continuity.
Read Also: How Employees Can Claim Working-From-Home (WFH) Expenses In Their Income Tax Returns This Year
Matching Company And Employee Needs
Not every company can implement the same type of FWAs because it is largely dependent on the nature of work. Work-from-home arrangements will not be suitable for occupations such as nurses since they do shift work and need to be on-site. However, the nature of shift work lends itself to a flexi-load FWA where the workload could be distributed between nurses through the reallocation of shifts.
Another key step to choosing the right FWA is to study the needs of employees. Employees who have school going children may wish to have some flexibility to fetch their children to/from school in the morning and during school dismissal and may be well-served by being given the flexibility to do so.
Nevertheless, employers are not obliged to accede to all FWA requests, especially where it is not possible to reallocate shifts or reassign work. Employers can reject requests if it is unfeasible or will result in a significant increase in business cost.
Employee Job Scope May Change
Some FWAs may require a change in job scope. Especially since some flexi-load FWAs inevitably result in a decrease in workload, the employer will need to make up for the manpower shortfall by hiring more staff. In some cases, this arrangement may only be feasible if it is also accompanied by a reduction in salary.
Other FWAs such as flexi-time FWAs may also lead to a change or reassignment in responsibilities.
Depending on the type of the FWA requested and the nature of the job scope in the company, some FWAs may result in changes to remuneration or responsibilities. TAFEP recommends that supervisors have candid conversations regarding the expectations and changes.
Read Also: Elon Musk Says Working From Home Is “Morally Wrong”. Could He Be Right?
Flexible Work Arrangements Require Compromise
Employers’ apprehension at implementing FWAs is understandable. FWAs can cause disruptions that come in the form difficulties to call for ad-hoc meetings, and scheduling meetings with clients. Aside from this, some industries may require staff to be physically present to inspect, operate, or repair physical equipment. Embracing FWAs may mean scheduling difficulty as well as having more downtime which delays production schedules.
Since industries differ in work circumstances, it is not possible for all companies to simply allow for FWAs across the board. Nevertheless, FWAs may be an important job criterion for some people, especially for those who have children or elderly dependents. Granting suitable FWAs to employees may enable them to continue working within that company, even if it is at a reduced pace, while they continue to fulfil their caregiving responsibilities, thereby giving employers access to a larger talent and manpower pool.
Subscribe To The DollarsAndSense Business Pass
Enjoy what you are reading and want more? Join The DollarsAndSense Business Pass and unlock access to valuable tools, exclusive networking opportunities, and tap into the wisdom of industry experts to fuel your business expansion!
