SINGAPORE — Four-day work weeks, more work-from-home days, staggered work timings. 

These are examples of flexible work arrangements that all workers who have completed their probation on the job will be able to formally request from their employers starting Dec 1 this year. 

A set of new Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests was released on Tuesday (April 16) by the Tripartite Workgroup on Flexible Work Arrangements.

The workgroup, under the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), consists of representatives from various agencies including the ministry, National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF).

The guidelines, while not enforceable by law, stipulate that all firms should set up a process for employees to submit a formal request for flexible work arrangements, and also outline how the request will be handled. 

However, the guidelines will not govern whether the request is approved or rejected.

The new guidelines will replace the 2014 Tripartite Advisory and the 2017 Tripartite Standard on flexible work arrangements — which merely sought to promote such work plans and provide best practices for employers respectively.

Here are five things you need to know about the guidelines.

1. WHAT KIND OF FLEXIBLE WORK ARRANGEMENTS CAN I REQUEST?

Flexible work arrangements are variations from the standard work arrangement that both employer and employee have agreed on for the job scope. They broadly encompass the following:

• Flexi-place: Where employees work from different locations aside from their usual office location (for example, telecommuting, work from home)
• Flexi-time: Where employees work at different timings with no changes to total work hours and workload (for example, flexible hours, staggered hours, flexible shifts, compressed work schedule)
• Flexi-load: Where employees work with different workloads and with suitable pay (for example, job sharing, part-time work)

2. HOW DOES IT WORK? 

A worker may submit a formal request to their employer either through the company’s work portal or using a template outlined in the guidelines.  

After the request has been submitted, the employer is required to consider it “properly” and communicate its decision in writing to approve or reject the request within two months.

The guidelines state that if the request is rejected, employers should include the reason for rejection in the written decision. They are also encouraged to discuss alternative arrangements with the worker.

Employers have the prerogative to reject requests, but the reasons for rejection should be based on “reasonable business grounds”, the workgroup said.

3. WHAT IS CONSIDERED ‘REASONABLE’ OR ‘UNREASONABLE’? 

Some examples of reasonable business grounds for rejection of flexible work plans include:

• Cost: The arrangement leads to a significant increase in cost burden to the employer
• Impact on productivity or output: The arrangement leads to a significant decrease in the productivity or output of the worker, team or organisation, or negatively affects the organisation’s ability to meet customer needs
• Feasibility or practicality: The arrangement is not feasible or is impractical due to the nature of the job role, lack of capacity to change other staff members' work arrangements, or the need to hire new workers to accommodate the submitted request

On the other hand, employers should not reject these requests for reasons that are not directly related to business outcomes, such as: 

• The management does not believe in flexible work arrangements
• The supervisor prefers to have direct sight of the worker in the office so that he or she can see if the person is working, even though the worker has consistent satisfactory work performance
• It is the organisation’s tradition or custom to not have flexible work policies

TODAY asked MOM what would happen if employers did not adhere to the guidelines.

In response, the ministry said that in cases where employers are recalcitrant or wilfully refuse to comply with the guidelines, it may issue a warning and require them to attend corrective workshops. 

It added that employers and workers are "strongly encouraged to discuss and resolve disagreements on flexible work arrangements through the firm’s internal grievance handling mechanism".

Trust and understanding between employers and workers were recommended, along with educating employers on how to consider these requests.

"This is a more effective approach in developing strong workplace norms around flexible work arrangements, compared to a punitive one," MOM said. 

Should employers not properly consider a formal request for flexible work, workers may approach the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (Tafep), NTUC or their respective unions for advice and assistance.

4. WHY ARE THESE GUIDELINES IN PLACE?

The new guidelines were released due to a slowing workforce growth and increasing caregiving needs in Singapore as the population ages, the Tripartite Workgroup said in its report, adding that FWAs are increasingly important to sustain labour force participation. 

FWAs may also help firms better attract and retain talent amid a tight labour market and support workers with caregiving responsibilities and parenthood aspirations. 

The aim of the guidelines, they said, is to establish a harmonious workplace norm where employees feel comfortable requesting for FWAs, and employers can evaluate requests and work out arrangements that meet both parties’ needs.

5. HOW CAN BUSINESSES ADJUST TO THE NEW GUIDELINES?

The guidelines are slated to be in place by December in order to allow businesses the time to adjust and review their processes, the tripartite workgroup said. 

In the concluding segment of the guidelines, it is also stated that Tafep, SNEF, the Institute for Human Resource Professionals, the Association for Small and Medium Enterprises, and SME Centres will provide tools and resources to help organisations implement flexible work plans.

These include training workshops, advisory services and educational materials.

For a non-exhaustive list of flexible work arrangement types, go to Tafep's website.