Debated in Parliament on 10 Sep 2012.
Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap asked the Prime Minister (a) what are the actual average weekly work hours of civil servants in executive positions and in non-executive positions in 2011 and in the first half of 2012; (b) whether the Government will consider (i) collecting and publishing quarterly figures of such work hours of civil servants in these respective positions; (ii) lowering such work hours to around 40 hours; (c) which Ministries and statutory boards practise "Blue Sky Days" and at what frequency; and (d) whether the Government will consider encouraging Ministries and statutory boards to practise "Blue Sky Days" on a weekly basis.
Public officers are required to work 42 hours a week. According to MOM's survey, companies in various industries likewise require their officers to work an average of 43 work hours per week7.
Most of our Public Service agencies8 have moved away from the practice of tracking officers' actual work hours through a clock in/out system, except for some instances where it is required to support operations and to administer overtime payments for lower divisional staff. The shift away from clocking in and out is in line with a more progressive HR approach which focuses on work outcomes, and to facilitate a flexible work culture built on mutual trust, responsibility and staff empowerment.
In deciding whether to move towards a 40-hour work week, there is a need to study the impact of such a move on service levels to the public. In the light of increasing public demands for better and more responsive public services, such a move should be considered only if we are confident of reaping additional productivity improvements from our workforce, such that they can perform the same task or provide the same level of service in a shorter time. Such a move requires careful study.
The practice of "Blue Sky Day" is progressively gaining traction. To date, 35 Public Service agencies have introduced "Blue Sky Day", most of these on a weekly basis. Operational and enforcement agencies are less able to practise "Blue Sky Days" due to operational needs and exigencies of service. However, they have other means to help officers achieve work-life balance. The Public Service will continue to encourage more public agencies to adopt the practice of "Blue Sky Day", where applicable. In fact, public officers are encouraged to leave on time once their work for the day has been completed. They can do so every day and not just on the designated "Blue Sky Day", as long as doing so does not affect the service’s operational readiness and level of service to the public.
PAPERCUTS