Singapore Mandates Fair Consideration Of Flexi-Work Requests From December
Starting from 1 December, workers in Singapore will have the option to request four-day work weeks, increased work-from-home days, and staggered work timings, aligning with the global trend of governments and companies easing office arrangements to retain talent.
According to the Ministry of Manpower’s website, employees will also have the opportunity to request other arrangements, such as flexible work locations, by the end of this year.
Yeo Wan Ling, co-chair of the Tripartite Workgroup, emphasised that access to flexible work arrangements is crucial for caregivers, women workers, and senior workers in deciding to stay or rejoin the workforce.
Although the guideline is not legally binding, all firms in Singapore are required to establish a process for employees to formally request flexible working arrangements. Employers may decline requests if they significantly reduce productivity, increase costs significantly, or are not feasible given the nature of the work.
However, companies cannot reject requests based on the firm’s traditions or management's reluctance to embrace flexible work styles.
Singapore's initiative is consistent with other countries like Ireland and the UK, where governments mandate businesses to consider flexible work requests.
While working from home was prevalent during the pandemic, its practice has declined as the world recovers from Covid and employers push for a return to the office to mitigate expensive real estate vacancies. Nevertheless, maintaining flexible arrangements may benefit businesses, as they have been shown to attract talent more rapidly and generate higher revenue by allowing employees the freedom to choose how and where they work.
