SINGAPORE: Companies and workers need to adopt a “flexible mindset” on a four-day work week, Minister of Condition in the Manpower Ministry Gan Siow Huang said in Parliament on Tuesday (Sep 13).
She added that the four-day work week may work well for some employers and employees but not others.
“A four-day work week is one of several types of flexible function arrangements, and the ministry, together with our tripartite partners, strongly stimulates employers and workers to be open to flexible work arrangements in most its various forms to identify and follow those that best fit their unique business needs and their workers’ needs, ” Ms Gan said.
She was addressing a question from MEGAPIXEL Melvin Yong (PAP-Radin Mas) on regardless of whether studies were becoming conducted by third parties to examine the feasibility of a four-day work week in Singapore.
The particular Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is not aware of any ongoing studies by third events, said Ms Gan, who added that will reports of four-day work week pilots implemented in other countries appeared mixed.
These types of included pilot programmes in Ireland, The japanese and Spain. Within Belgium, employees possess the right to request a four-day work week, but with daily function hours extended so that the total number of hours worked in a week remains the same, the lady said.
“So far, results seem to be mixed. Some of the crucial concerns that stakeholders have include the impact on productivity, business expenses, and employee wellbeing, ” said Microsoft Gan.
She added that while efficiency improvements have been documented in some cases, this depends upon what sector and job type.
“In some instances, decreased work hours have experienced to be compensated by hiring more work, ” said Microsoft Gan.
“At the same time, employees are worried that their salaries could be reduced due to fewer hours proved helpful, while some could encounter increased stress whenever they work more hours than usual in a day to complete their work. inch