Employers and Workers' Common Concerns about Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests

Mr Neil Parekh Nimil Rajnikant asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what are some of the common concerns employers and workers have expressed regarding the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests (TG-FWAR) following the various dialogue sessions held on this issue recently; (b) whether further steps need to be taken to allay the concerns of employers and workers; (c) if so, what are they; and (d) whether it is on track for TG-FWAR to come into effect on 1 December 2024.

In April this year, the Tripartite Partners launched the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement (FWA) Requests. The guidelines require employers to consider formal FWA requests by their employees and decide whether the requests could be supported based on business grounds.

Some employers initially had the wrong impression that FWAs meant work from home and that they would have to approve all FWA requests by their employees. The 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. We have also made it clear that FWAs go beyond telecommuting and include flexi-hours and flexi-load.

Another key concern among both employers and employees is the impact of the guidelines on workplace culture. Some employers are worried that their employees might use FWAs irresponsibly which might have adverse impacts on team productivity and business clients. At the same time, some employees are concerned that their performance could be unfairly appraised if they use FWAs. These issues underscore the importance of clear communication and setting the right expectations at the workplace. Employers should communicate upfront their expectations on how employees should use FWAs responsibly. Employers should also appraise their employees’ performance based on actual work delivered.

We will continue to raise awareness and capability among employers on how to implement FWAs at their workplaces. The Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) and the Institute for Human Resource Professionals, as well as the Singapore National Employers Federation and the National Trades Union Congress have developed a suite of resources, including e-learning modules, FWA policy templates, case studies and sector-specific guides. TAFEP also conducts 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. With these efforts, we are on track to implement the Guidelines from 1 December this year.