Tripartite partners say they support flexible working arrangements
Singaporean employers are being urged by the government to provide paid time off to working parents who need to accompany their children who getting vaccinated. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the National Trades Union Congress, and the Singapore National Employers Federation, otherwise known as the tripartite partners, have said they updated their call to employers to accommodate this need.
"The tripartite partners have updated their advice to encourage employers to provide paid time-off to employees for their children’s vaccination," MOM said in a statement. "This should include any mandatory observation period post vaccination if the vaccinations are done during working hours, as well as looking after their children if they experience some side effects.”
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According to ministry, this is in addition to the flexibilities that employers are also encouraged to provide their employees when they take the jabs against COVID-19.
"Such moves have contributed to the very high vaccination rate amongst the workforce of 98%," said the ministry.
It added that the tripartite partners support "greater flexibility" in working arrangements in a bid to prevent further burden on businesses and will not compromise their ability to compete.
"That employers and workers have come through the last two years of COVID-19 without the need for excessive regulation or litigation, but with a sense of unity, cohesion and focus on the long-term, should give us confidence that our tripartite approach is on the right track," it said.
The statement from the ministry comes after Singapore started rolling out the next phase of their paediatric vaccination, with over 100,000 children aged five to 11 receiving their first doses os of January 15, according to a Channel News Asia report.
