SINGAPORE — For several months last year, marketing executive Melissa Sta Maria spent three hours every weekday commuting from her home in Yishun to her former workplace in Pasir Ris and back by public transport. 

Believing that these hours spent on commuting could have been used more productively, the 26-year-old decided to raise the idea of working a few days from home to her boss at the time.

Instead of getting some attention to the matter from her then-employer, Ms Melissa's request was quickly dismissed, and her ex-boss poured salt on the wound by chiding her for proposing something so “ridiculous”. 

In a similar scenario this year, Mr Tang, a 27-year-old communications professional who wanted to be known only by his surname, was accused of wanting to skive after he asked his former employer to allow him to work from home occasionally so that he could take care of a new pet that he adopted.

These acrimonious scenarios might have been avoided if the upcoming Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests, which compels employers to set up processes allowing their employees to formally request such arrangements, existed at the time, both Ms Melissa and Mr Tang said.

Having such proper channels might even have convinced them to stay with their former companies, they added.

The new guidelines were announced on Tuesday (April 16) by the Tripartite Workgroup for Flexible Work Arrangement under the Ministry of Manpower.

They will apply to all firms from December this year, stipulating that employees can ask to vary their standard work arrangements in terms of their workload, their work hours and their place of work.

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 employee’s request within two months.

Although the move is seen as "a step in the right direction" towards better work-life balance, seven young millennial and Generation Z workers told TODAY that they had mixed feelings about how effective these guidelines will be.

Their main reservations were that the guidelines do not have more legal teeth and do not govern whether their flexible work requests are approved or rejected.

The authorities have said firms that do not heed the guidelines could be handed a warning or be required to attend corrective workshops, but younger workers were unsure whether this would be enough to move the needle on the adoption of flexible work policies in Singapore's workplaces.

Several of the youth who spoke to TODAY declined to use their full names because they did not want their current employers to take action against them.

OBSTACLES TO MAKING FLEXI-WORK WORK

To these younger workers, those employers who are already resistant to flexible work plans will easily be able to find ways to circumvent the guidelines — even though they state that objections to requests must be made on “reasonable business grounds”.

Ms Ong, 28, who works in the finance industry and wanted to be known only by her last name, said: “Even if it’s an unreasonable reason to reject, they can twist (the words) to make it sound reasonable."

Since the guidelines do not govern the outcome of the request, Ms Ong added, “whether or not management decides to approve (the request) can also depend on the individual worker’s reputation”. 

Even with a formal process in place, young workers felt that there might be social and environmental factors at play, which determine whether employees feel comfortable in submitting their requests to their employers.

Ms Lu, a 25-year-old working in the education industry, said that workers might be hesitant for fear of how their colleagues perceive them. 

“They might think it’s entitled, unfair or even lazy,” she added.

Some also said they feared that submitting these requests would affect their chances of promotion or career trajectory.

However, not all who spoke to TODAY believed that employers are out to deny such requests.

Ms Natalie Chia, 31, who is assistant director of research at a non-profit organisation, said that some junior employees might feel more encouraged to make such requests if they see their senior colleagues or their management doing so.

“Seeing my supervisors themselves make use of flexible work, or taking childcare leave without hesitation… it gives me a lot of confidence that I can ask (for it as well),” the mother of two added. 

"I didn’t feel they were less responsible for the team because they took duties at home seriously."

The workers interviewed said that ultimately, there should be a paradigm shift away from clocking time in the office to one where employers focus on work output and efficiency.

That requires a mindset change on the part of bosses, they also said.

A worker in his early 30s, Paul, who works in a client services firm, said: “No matter how many flexible work plans or incentives there are, these won’t fix a punitive culture where employees are made to feel like primary school kids being surveilled, rather than grown adults who are equal partners in ensuring company success.”

WHAT FLEXI-WORK ARRANGEMENTS DO EMPLOYEES WANT? 

Asked what type of flexible work plans they desire most, those interviewed by TODAY mostly sought the ability to work from home on certain days of the week.

Several also wanted flexibility in picking their own work hours, which was the second-most popular option among those interviewed.

Ms Tan, 27, who works in the banking industry, said that it is important for companies to recognise and grant their staff members other forms of flexible work options and not just the ability to work from home.

This is especially since those who do certain types of work, including customer-facing roles, may not be able to choose their workplace.

She recalled how a past employer had often bragged that the firm had embraced flexible work plans by allowing workers to work from home, but in reality, failed to consider requests such as varying one's work hours or workload.

These choices were not extended to employees such as Ms Tan, who had to interact with clients on a daily basis.

Another key concept about flexible work policies that needs to be discussed, but is not always addressed, is whether employees have the "right to disconnect" — which refers to the ability to disengage from work-related communications such as emails or messages during non-work hours. 

There should be "clear time boundaries" alongside these flexible work arrangements, Ms Melissa said. 

"Some bosses are going to think that when you're at home, employees are obligated to answer calls and emails late into the night... you (still) need to protect yourself as employees."

WHAT EXPERTS SAY

Human resource experts who spoke to TODAY agreed that even if formal processes are put in place as specified by the guidelines, the existing workplace culture will still play a significant role on whether employees' requests for flexible work will be properly entertained.

Mr Kenji Naito, group chief executive of recruitment firm Reeracoen, said that in any case, to improve their odds of securing a favourable flexi-work arrangement, it is key for employees to maintain open and constructive dialogue with their employers. 

In the first place, employees should seek clarification from their employers on the actual process for handling formal requests, in order to ensure transparency and alignment on expectations right from the outset, he advised.

It is essential for employees to "clearly communicate the benefits of flexible arrangements both for themselves and the organisation, emphasising how such arrangements can contribute to productivity and employee well-being", he added.

By doing so, employers would more likely keep an open mind rather than dismiss the request outright. 

Agreeing, Mr Nilay Khandelwal, managing director of the Singapore and Indonesia branches of recruitment firm Michael Page, said that it would also be helpful to provide examples of successful flexibility in similar roles or industries and to be prepared to negotiate aspects of the request. 

In the event that one's request is rejected, there still is value in displaying a willingness to understand the employer's perspective and keeping the conversation going, even if it is for reasons they disagree with, Mr Khandelwal said. 

This is because discussing the reasons for rejection can provide insights into the employer's concerns. 

“Employees should ask if there are alternative solutions that could meet both their needs and the employer's expectations, and whether a trial period could be possible to demonstrate the arrangement's viability,” he added.