GAPS IN PROTECTING WORKERS
The new recommendations are good for establishing and standardizing what adaptable work plans are, but gaps remain.
Mr Sher-li Torrey is the leader of Mums@ Work, a job portal with 60,000 people in Singapore that supports working mother by listing careers that offer flexible plans.
Companies now understand what flexi-work is since the website launched in 2010, but this is still lacking in some smaller businesses, according to Ms Torrey.
She said of the novel rules: “It is a step in the right direction. Is it going to move the knife? No then, and certainly not in the near future. ”
However, she said, requiring companies to take into account demands for flexi-work inspires workers to request such arrangements and can encourage them to stay in their jobs.
However, they do not defend applicants looking for freedom, including moms returning to work, she said. Rather, asking about freedom during a job interview had fail on the prospect.
“So what this helps is expertise loyalty, no skill interest, ” she said.
Employees also fear being penalized for accepting flexible work schedules, and there is n’t a clear way to make sure they are still considered for promotions, according to Ms. Torrey.
In her experience, businesses frequently make a compelling argument for preventing people ‘ career advancement through flexible work arrangements.
“They do getting sidelined for deals. And it’s difficult to argue because sometimes there are factors like encounter time, she said, where accommodating employees might spend less time with supervisors.
An employee’s job opportunity can also change over time because of the essence of what they are capable to do under flexible job arrangements, which can also influence prospects for development, she said.
Yet if flexi-work is normalised, it will probably still be a minority who have such plans, added Ms Torrey.
Therefore, when a minority says they want equivalent promotional rights, can I claim that I do, in addition to having the flexibility, have the advantage of being able to speak up? ”
Employees ’ concerns that they could be penalised are “fair”, said Mr Ang Yuit, president of the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises ( ASME).
A “mature talk ” on this may start by looking at whether the requested structure is temporary or permanent. If it is continuous, then the employer and employee have to sit down and discuss their expectations, he said.
Employers are encouraged to share expectations for job objectives, performance evaluation, individual contactability, and the possibility of reviewing and changing already-approved plans according to the guidelines.
Mr. Ang added that ASME was urging smaller companies to take the whole process into account when considering flexi-work demands as part of improving their human investment methods.
When asked about the difficulties that these companies face in implementing the rules, Mr. Ang pointed out that some employers now employ flexible job arrangements on an informal basis.
According to him, the guidelines help employers improve the process and make those requests more conventional and obvious, and they also help with the workflow for these requests.