Guidelines for flexible work requests - how useful are they, and will they work? | Deep Dive podcast

Come Dec 1, all companies in Singapore must have a process in place when their staff ask for formal flexible work arrangements. This has become a major talking point centred around balancing business realities and employee needs.
Steven Chia and Crispina Robert cut through the weeds with Gan Siow Huang, Minister of State for Manpower and Education, Aslam Sardar, CEO of the Institute for Human Resource Professionals and Tan Wan Ting, founder and CEO of digital marketing agency Weave Asia.
0:00 Intro
1:52 Why push for guidelines now?
6:37 How SMEs feel about the guidelines
10:11 Focus on the process
15:50 Making it fair for all workers
18:41 Is flexi work arrangements only for certain industries?
27:24 HR needs to up its game
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[@dokinglife]

There are growing numbers of singles who have responsibilities to look after aged parents as primary caregivers. My parent fainted at home last year and was rushed to A&E. It was very forunate that i was on leave on that day. Employees usually work longer hours at home by offsetting travelling time to and fro office for work or start earlier or end work later.

[@ListenNoTalk]

On the contrary, the present young generation is far from being filial according to reports. They are not the sandwich generation that serves the old and the young. Many we have seen are ratter dependable on their parents and see it as their duty to bring them up in line with their peers. Even during festive seasons they don’t normally visit their elders nowadays.

[@ratmaazizah4703]

👍🏻👍🏻 happy work, happy home and happy family so keep it on encouraging in new work culture within flexible work arrangements

[@stelselv]

In Switzerland and other European countries, employees can choose to work 20%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 80% to 100%. I worked 40% to 60% in a spa. It is normal there. Flexi working hours is only going to make an employee happier, less stressful, the fighting in public transport n places may reduce. Hopefully this implementation benefits all employees and employers.

[@wahkaoz]

With so many skeptic remarks about employers can always find a reason to reject FWAs, its clear majority of companies in Singapore are either micromanage or toxic politics environment (I for one had been to so many companies in the past which are all toxic). If this FWAs is non-legally binding, I can only guess this will be a flop and doesn't help employees be happy. Take hiring foreigners ratio quota as an example, its a total flop as companies here overcome this law by just having foreigners working in their own country. All it takes is just frequent zoom meetings to monitor work progress.

[@CattleFarmer667]

My company has FWA. I think govt job also has FWA. You can try apply for govt job if you need FWA

[@chickeabiddy]

Should continue this FWA conversation a few months down the road to see if there is really improvement for both employers and employees.

[@MySherline]

Crispina.. finally I know how you looked like.. I have been listening to your podcast... Great topic of discussion for the latest announcement by MOM

[@edwardlumsianming3430]

Finally, at least she clarified it is for some type of workers not for all workers

[@CattleFarmer667]

Obviously. Imagine my company security guard work from home...

[@teyhoonboon5853]

Flaxible work gives people the time to rest and work ，this may improve the efficiency of worker and company productivity.

[@nathangnesh6790]

How this flexible work guide line will adopts in Construction industry. Very keen to know any one pls.

[@cheenangng4050]

Will work load be reduced to match a 4 day week? I would rather keep to 5 day and have a “leave me alone day” on Friday

[@Hailey_1507]

We’re on hybrid and barely see each other but my boss just rejected my request to wfh in my home country overseas and said that the company’s direction going forward is to outsource and hire workers from the PH or MY since it’s a lot cheaper to employ them than Singaporeans/PR.. so unless the FWA is legally binding, it is useless!

[@charlespropnex]

Excellent Sharing

[@zraiderz]

hmm so what constitutes as a valid reason for requesting FWA? compared a person with caregiving duties (taking care of children/elderly) vs a single who just needs that flexibility of work from home to study/rest at home, is the caregiver more important or more valid? this may cause some unwanted biasness in the team.

[@CattleFarmer667]

The reason should be about maintaining productivity while improving workers work-life balance. Simple example is if someone need to write software code for 3 days, they can work from home for 3 days.

[@LonganLee]

Why not ERP at house main door gantry?

[@gweejiahan9336]

Leaving it purely to the employers to decide if FWA is approved based on whether it makes business sense is not acceptable la. There is a million and one reasons not to. MOM and NTUC needs to discuss and provide a list of appropriate reasons that businesses can use to reject. Of course, one of the reasons would be if the employee has been errant in past FWAs or in general poor performance while on FWA arrangement.

[@melissavirk3848]

Has anyone addressed the cost borne by employees working from home?

[@ListenNoTalk]

Although I am not an employer, it is rather unfair to the company and those whose job cannot accommodate flexi work hours. So the best is for All employees to be paid according to hours worked in the company and working at home will be at a lower rate as employees salary is based on 191 hours thereabouts before flexi hours was introduced.

[@marcusong9321]

Agreed not all FWA are for everyone...even within a organisation.

[@eyemadam97]

Can’t wait to formally apply so I can get formal rejected 🙏

[@paparoti4006]

Mindef MHA also can work from home ?

[@edwardlumsianming3430]

It does not matter what ARRANGEMENT IT IS IF THE COMPANY DO NOT MAKE PROFIT

[@anziar3038]

The flexible work arrangements for workers is a clear sign that PAP is the only responsible and caring party in s'pore. Awesome!❤❤

[@martindawn934]

No it is not their idea rubbish

[@martindawn934]

If pap is so caring they would be more open to opinions

[@avatart183]

PAP a caring party, many higher paying civil servant in the Polytechnic were asked to down the pay grade(cutting 30% of the monthly salary after more than 15 years in the role) stating performance did not met the target(so that they do not need to pay retrenchment benefits), at the same time thay are employing lots of adjunct and younger lecturers. How is the government taking care of employee!

[@megantan89]

Flexible work arrangements only works for highly disciplined and responsible staff only.

[@LonganLee]

Steve Chia will be leaving or getting promoted? Won't be sacked right?

[@LonganLee]

Steve chia not contentious enough? Is he not able to offer more critical views? Or can we engage AI to help him work?

[@avatart183]

On the topic of working from home, is a new trend that evolved out of covid19 lock down. Things change and company realises they can operate via zoom and without a physical office. This also brings down their office floor space(cam downsize) and electrcity and utilitu bills(Not just the benefits of employee being able to work from home). Also the new sustainabklity 101, scope 1, 2 & 3 requires company to cut down carbon footprint. Working from home facilitated it as curreny they are only at scope 1 & 2.....So pls do not be too naive to think that companies arr thinking for employee...to the company, is always survival and P&L

[@edwardlumsianming3430]

Why did not interview CEO ?????

[@martinarchie2902]

By calling WP “useless” is misinformed without the opposition 377A would have been repealed or if none of the public actually push for it

[@subramanyamshankar1767]

what about WFH for bus drivers, pilots, doctors,etc ? why only few people get that privilege?

[@avatart183]

The question you have to ask is, do u want your job to be replaced by AI? If one can sit at home and control the bus and airplane, then job lile bus driver and pilot will become obsolete(finally replaced)....

[@Hs5687]

Only Way to Continue to Prop Up Pty Prices …

[@anghockseng5686]

Some need to work in The office some need To work at home

[@danlin8310]

People becoming lazy, productivity coming down, business costs soaring, SG losing competitiveness, companies/people bailing out of SG, repeating this viscous cycle. Perhaps a 4-day work week for large companies who can afford, not practical for small businesses with less than 10 people

[@martinarchie2902]

Louis Chua told the story of one Sengkang resident who had asked for a FWA. The mother of two, who has one child needing special attention, asked if she could keep to an FWA to take better care of her children.

[@mysticery]

The set needs more work. It feels so rigid. Time to get inspired by other podcasters set up.

[@martindawn934]

Louis Chua (Sengkang GRC) outlined the benefits of Flexible Work Arrangements (FWA) such as work from home or hybrid schedules for employees, noting that studies have shown that many Singaporean workers have expressed their preference for such arrangements.

[@jbrkjferkjbekjb]

Too many voices in the room, should stick to having one host (really liked Steve before), or at least have the hosts more clearly align their direction/questions/roles. I sense that the hosts are asking the questions independently without really communicating with each other beforehand.

[@MyVideoHome2012]

Could employers also have flexible salary arrangements where they can inform the employees that they cannot afford to pay them their salaries at times, and just pay less for the months ? Could we have flexible road speed where drivers can choose to drive at any speed ?

[@ysngngys7753]

24:30 And share predicament, grudges on social media, bloating the issue, inflating their balls should they did not get what they want...

[@martinarchie2902]

Louis Chua WP has consistently called on the Government “to give employees the legislative right to FWAs rather than non-legally binding advisories, and for the Government to lead by example.”

[@edwardlumsianming3430]

Make it LAW AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO THE COMPANIES

[@kengleetan63]

99.5% jobs will go to FTs!😆😆

[@martinchew4128]

State owned media program

[@anghockseng5686]

Save bus fare Save time Can take care of family Children or old people Hope your job will not Taken over by forirngner

[@josmeiong]

agree

[@josmeiong]

better think carefully

[@XianLongLee]

CNA podcast is bad. Steven was annoying. Crispina was outright rude. GSH was making needless remarks. The only people adding value to this conversation were Aslam and Wan Ting. Flexible work arrangement is private affair between employer and employee. PAP government has no say in this issue and should avoid intervention, even at making guidelines. The free market can sort this out by itself and provide good solutions.

[@Its_a_me_WSA]

Short answer: no

[@LonganLee]

Will there be new tax on tax payers working from home? How to account for the lost petrol revenue if tax payers stay at home more? Less COE purchased? Why not have a tax called work-from-home tax?

[@mpdmpd8118]

ppl that ask flexible work is an excuse to slack...

[@martindawn934]

Not everything is pap idea

[@martindawn934]

All pap knows how to do is steal ideas from the opposition not everything is their credit

[@zenweaver]

The rental so expensive, so you encourage work from home.End up the MNCs and some SMEs will ask themselves why need to employ people from Singapore which is expensive.Thread carefully here on this.Stick to flexible work arrangements on temporary basis for now.

[@user-eg1sk6bx2r]

It would be really nice if all Singaporeans can sleep at home and get paid 10 k per month with a maid and car provided by company.

[@Buttercookies0]

I second it. You can be that employer.

[@Humorousguy64]

This flexibility of working hours should not be raise at the first place ...now creating a mess and unfair for many employees and employers. Hahaha just discuss when you need to work less hours and let HR or boss to plan for you ..thats all correct ? There's no solutions to these....different company has different kinds of work or job ...it cant be using one rule for this....

[@Humorousguy64]

Boss pay you to work in the office cos they want to be sure you the one doing the job ...if many chose to work from home or have the right to work from outside then what is office for ? Boss will lose money on office space ....

[@antihunter]

My boss wants the whole team (white collar) to be in office 4 days a week. was 3 days. Sometimes you cant understand this boss (VP) level and his thinking. he has no trust for staff to "WFH" and he wants to see you. If you are not in office, you need to "justify" why. There is no such thing as "flexible" like what you preached. So your justification for this sustainability is simply bullsh.t

[@Buttercookies0]

If nobody is around, he wouldn't feel like a boss.