Debated in Parliament on 14 Nov 2012.
Ms Foo Mee Har asked the Prime Minister what is the current percentage of employees in the public service, as categorised by seniority and work areas, who are on (a) flexible work arrangements (b) reduced-hour work week and (c) work-from-home arrangements.
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Flexible work arrangements help our public officers better manage their work and personal needs. There are three main types of flexibility that public officers might require: flexi-place, flexi-time and flexi-load.
Flexi-place, or telecommuting, allows public officers to work remotely, usually from home. About four in five public agencies have a telecommuting scheme. Eighteen percent of public officers who responded to a survey by the Public Service in January 2012 indicated that they telecommute at least once a month.
Flexi-time allows public officers to determine the time when they are at work in the course of a day, as long as they fulfil the minimum of 42 hours of work required a week. Almost all public agencies offer staggered work hours, a form of flexi-time, where officers can choose the time to start work that best suits them, typically between 7.30am and 10am.
Finally, flexi-load allows public officers to opt to work fewer hours per week on part-time employment, with prorated salary and benefits. All public agencies offer a part-time employment scheme. As at 31 December 2011, there were 1,094 or 1.4% of Division I public officers working part-time; and 321 or 0.6% of non-Division I public officers working part-time.
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