Ministry says clear communication, setting right expectations important
Employers and employees in Singapore are worried about the impact of the upcoming mandate involving flexible work requests, according to the Ministry of Manpower.
The Singapore government introduced earlier this year Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement (FWA) Requests. It will mandate employers, starting in December, to start considering formal requests for flexible work arrangements from employees.
"Some employers are worried that their employees might use FWAs irresponsibly which might have adverse impacts on team productivity and business clients," MOM said in a statement. "At the same time, some employees are concerned that their performance could be unfairly appraised if they use FWAs."
Clear communication is important
According to the ministry, the concerns underscore the importance of clear communication and setting the right expectations in the workplace.
"Employers should communicate upfront their expectations on how employees should use FWAs responsibly," MOM said. "Employers should also appraise their employees' performance based on actual work delivered."
These concerns add to the previous worries of employers in being required to implement FWAs once the guidelines take effect. Both the Singapore National Employers Federation and the government, however, allayed these fears.
"Tripartite partners have assured employers that they will have the prerogative to grant or reject requests, as FWAs must make sense for businesses to be sustainable," MOM said.
"We will continue to raise awareness and capability among employers on how to implement FWAs at their workplaces."
Preparing for the mandate
According to MOM, there are a suite of resources including e-learning modules, FWA policy templates, case studies and sector specific guides available to employers needing assistance.
The Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices also has fortnightly briefing sessions on the guidelines.
"Employers can tap on grants such as the Productivity Solutions Grant to offset the costs of adopting FWAs, such as for consultancy services to redesign jobs, or installing IT systems like shift scheduling systems to support their implementation of FWAs," MOM said. "With these efforts, we are on track to implement the Guidelines from 1 December this year."
