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Help workers respond to changing work environments

To respond better to the fast-changing landscape, an adequate number of civil servants competent to handle technological and other changes may have to be hired.

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Patrick Liew Siow Gian

To respond better to the fast-changing landscape, an adequate number of civil servants competent to handle technological and other changes may have to be hired.

They should be able to assess the risks and impact of these changes and help to improve policymaking processes.

For example, as we come to grips with global economic restructuring, there is a need to proactively identify workers who may be dislocated (“NTUC lays out roadmap to get women, seniors back to work”; Jan 18). Discouraged workers may become vulnerable and may choose to leave the workforce or find it harder to rejoin it.

The authorities may have to resist increasing pressures from different quarters to overprotect these workers and potentially erode their spirit of responsibility, self-reliance and resilience.

One of Budget 2017’s targets should be on how to help workers relearn, reskill, retool and redesign themselves for the changing work environments, especially in responding to technological disruptions.

To do that, the authorities must employ the appropriate staff or work with relevant partners to help develop policies to incentivise employers to upgrade their workers.

In the bigger picture, depending on the scope of the changes, the authorities may need more help from the private and people sectors to upgrade our safety net to mitigate future risks and challenges.

Workplace regulations may have to change in response to different employment categories, including more flexible but less secure work options.

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