Beginning in December, when new joint recommendations become effective, all employers may include a process in place to allow employees to submit formal requests for flexible work arrangements.
Employers are required to notify their judgement within two months of a demand for flexible job arrangements, according to the necessary guidelines.
Companies have the right to decline like requests, but the choice should be supported by justifiable business justifications, such as productivity or price. What are deemed to be absurd basis for rejecting calls, as well as the rules.
About eight months after the government approved all the recommendations made by a tripartite workgroup, the guidelines were released on Monday ( Apr 15 ). to look into the issue of flexible work arrangements.
Explaining the need for the instructions, Minister of State for Manpower Gan Siow Huang pointed to Singapore’s strong labour market and aged labor, with more people taking on caretaker responsibilities.
At a establish event, she said that flexible work plans will allow more carers and seniors to continue working if they so choose.
It is not a choice that we can create, in my opinion. Flexible work arrangements are the only way to go, she said, if we want to have a strong labor force in Singapore and we want to enable adults who want to operate.
By 2030, around one in four Singapore will remain aged 65 and over. The career level for seniors over 65 was 30 last month. 6 per share.
Women are now more active in the workplace, reaching 76. 6 per share next month. But about 260,000 people of financial era remain outside the workplace.
One of the main reasons for this is caregiving duties, said Ms Yeo Wan Ling, associate secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and chairman of U Women and Family and U SME.
Ms. Gan, Ms. Yeo, and Mr. Edwin Ng, the honorary secretary of the Singapore National Employers Federation ( SNEF), co-chaired the tripartite workgroup.
The workgroup consulted a variety of parties, including business owners, business organizations, and organizations. Community organizations that examine issues affecting girls, fathers, and seniors were even consulted.
Asked why the workgroup decided to introduce necessary rules instead of policy, Ms Gan said it had to get a “progressive” approach to flexible work arrangements.
In these upcoming times, it is more important for us to concentrate on enabling and equipping organizations and employers, as well as the employees, but that flexible job arrangements may be implemented in a responsible manner and in a win-win way, she said.
She added that the instructions must be “administratively gentle ” and practical for businesses to follow in order for them to be required for all businesses.
Asked what will happen if companies do not agree with the rules, Ms Gan stressed that companies have to be “competitive” and “progressive” in get never to lose out on hiring talent.
According to her, TAFEP will come in to advise and educate employers who may not adhere to the guidelines in terms of having a process to evaluate the request for flexible arrangement from their employees.
“By and large, I believe, employers in Singapore will know what to do. They will strive to be excellent employers. for the interest of the business. ”