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With employees on varied forms of FWAs such as staggered hours or working remotely, it can be difficult to ensure fair work distribution. Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) shares tips on how to tackle this.
The Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests came into effect on 1 December 2024 and flexible work arrangements (FWAs) are an increasingly important part of inclusive workplaces.
Organisations today are personalising FWAs to suit the needs of their employees based on their life stage. In turn, employees who feel well taken care of and more engaged are also more likely to go the extra mile for the organisation.
As more organisations adopt FWAs, here are some ways to address common challenges when managing a flexible workforce:
#1: "I will not know if employees on FWAs are getting their job done."
When employees are working remotely, you might be concerned that they are not as effective as when they are physically in the office.
First, you need to establish a culture of trust through open and constructive dialogue.
Next, supervisors should recognise that employees’ work performance is not solely based on their physical presence at the workplace and should be assessed using performance indicators. Set up a structured system for evaluation and performance-based management, and mutually agree on job deliverables and timelines.
Regular communication is key to successful flexible work. Ensure that you have sufficient channels of communication and encourage your team to use them frequently. For example, having one platform for daily updates on the progress of projects and immediate business objectives, and another for longer, regularly scheduled meeting to go over broader issues. This not only keeps supervisors updated and assures that work gets done, but also instils a sense of accountability in employees.
#2: "I am not sure how I can manage equal workload amongst the team."
With employees on varied forms of FWAs such as staggered hours or working remotely, it can be difficult to ensure fair work distribution. Here are some ways you can manage this:
a. Formalise flexible work policies
At times, informal and ad-hoc FWAs may unintentionally result in inconsistencies and inequalities, due to a lack of clearly defined guidelines on usage and expectations. While supervisors may prefer the flexibility in setting up the parameters of such ad-hoc arrangements, this can result in work responsibilities getting passed on to other team members who are not on FWAs.
Formalising flexible work policies sets out clear expectations and requirements, ensuring that other team members are not unfairly impacted when employees are on FWAs, and that business needs are still met.
b. Tap on project management platforms
When employees work different hours and from different locations, it can be difficult for supervisors to keep track of their projects and progress.
Leverage project management platforms and HR tools for more timely and effective monitoring and collaboration. These platforms can be used to facilitate online team discussions, allocate work, set deadlines, manage tasks, as well as get progress updates on projects. These also enable each team member to have a clear view of a project in its entirety.
Team members will also be able to record their progress and contributions, which will be visible to the entire team. This enables supervisors to remotely oversee workloads and progress of individual team members, and make adjustments to ensure fair job allocation if necessary.
#3: "I am worried that employees may not be immediately accessible."
Employees, whether working onsite or remotely, may not be at their desks throughout the workday. For employees on FWAs, it may be challenging for employers as they will not be able to approach their employees in-person for updates. The following measures can help to ensure employees on remote working arrangements remain contactable:
a. Implement clear guidelines on communications and accessibility
When staying in touch over emails, online chat groups and project management platforms, team members should have in place guidelines that establish mutual agreements on communication matters, such as response time. Formal regular meetings are also recommended. Teams can schedule weekly or bi-weekly virtual meetings or conference calls with specific agendas to ensure that everyone has a shared understanding of work progress and enhance each team member's accountability.
b. Exercise flexibility and trust
Just like employees who are physically in the office, remote employees may be away from their desks for bathroom breaks, meals, offsite meetings and more. Such short breaks are inevitable, and you need to trust that your employees will respond within the agreed upon response time. Encourage a culture where team members take the initiative to inform each other about longer "away-from-desk" periods or when they will be offline to work on a task.
Ensuring long-term success of FWAs for your organisation
As FWAs become integrated as part of everyday business practice, supervisors will continue to come across new variations of FWA requests. Thus, it is important to take part in regular briefings and workshops on how to manage a flexible workforce, and reap the long-term benefits of FWAs for your organisation.
When executed well, FWAs help employees balance both personal and work responsibilities. This will also have a positive impact on the business by improving its ability to attract and retain talent. As a supervisor, you are a key enabler and facilitator of successful work-life implementation for the organisation. By addressing these concerns, you can work towards building a flexible work culture that benefits both your team and the organisation.
Visit TAFEP’s website to learn more about the types of FWAs and tips on how to implement FWAs.
Do also check out the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests to find out more about how employees should request for FWAs and use them and, how employers and supervisors should handle FWA requests.
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