Singapore mandates employers to fairly consider workers’ flexi-work requests from 1 Dec

SINGAPORE: On Monday (15 April), Singapore launched the new Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement (FWA) Requests. Effective December of this year, all employers are required to establish a formal process for employees to request flexible work arrangements.

According to the guidelines, employers are expected to respond to FWA requests within two months of receiving them.

While employers maintain the right to decline such requests, their decisions must be justified by reasonable business grounds, such as cost or productivity concerns. They should include the reason for rejection in the written decision

Furthermore, the guidelines outline what constitutes unreasonable grounds for rejecting requests.

These guidelines were introduced following the government’s endorsement of all recommendations made by a tripartite workgroup, approximately eight months after its formation to address the issue of FWAs.

Minister of State for Manpower, Gan Siow Huang, emphasized the necessity of these guidelines, citing Singapore’s tight labour market and an ageing workforce, with an increasing number of individuals taking on caregiving responsibilities.

Minister Gan Siow Huang expressed during the launch event that flexible work arrangements would enable more caregivers and seniors to continue working if they choose to do so.

She believed that FWAs can be beneficial for both employees and employers. They enable employees to achieve better work-life harmony and give employers a competitive advantage in talent attraction and retention.

“To reap these benefits, FWAs must be implemented on the basis of trust and mutual understanding between employer and employee. ”

“The Tripartite Guidelines on FWA Requests will shape norms and expectations around FWAs so that our workplaces can be more inclusive and productive.”

Ms Yeo Wan Ling, co-chair of the Tripartite Workgroup, emphasized that access to FWAs is often the primary consideration for caregivers, female employees, and senior workers when deciding to remain or rejoin the workforce.

She believed that the guideline marks a significant advancement in normalizing FWAs in the workplace, establishing formalized and transparent processes for employees to request such arrangements.

“At the heart of successful FWA implementations is the building of a trust culture in the workplace. NTUC and our union leaders will continue working with our tripartite partners to bring win-win outcomes for our employers and workers, ” she added.

Mr Edwin Ng, Honorary Secretary of the Singapore National Employers Federation and co-chair of the tripartite workgroup, highlighted that while more employers have adopted FWAs, individual employee needs may not always align with their employer’s FWA policy.

Therefore, the guidelines aim to assist employees in responsibly making FWA requests and help employers in properly evaluating such requests, he said.

Mr Ng said this approach can foster harmonious employment relationships, allowing both parties to engage in constructive discussions and establish practical and sustainable work arrangements that fulfil the needs of both employees and employers.

“Nonetheless, employers can and should continue with their existing FWA practices if they have worked well for them and their employees.”

The tripartite workgroup engaged with various stakeholders, including companies, trade associations, unions, and community organizations focused on issues affecting women, fathers, and senior citizens.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) stated that in instances where employers are non-compliant or deliberately refuse to adhere to the guidelines, the ministry may issue warnings and mandate attendance at corrective workshops.