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The ministry said: "Tripartite partners have assured employers that they will have the prerogative to grant or reject requests, as FWAs must make sense for businesses to be sustainable."
Following the launch of the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement (FWA) Requests earlier this year, some employers in Singapore have expressed their concerns.
While the guidelines require employers to consider formal FWA requests by employees, there were employers who initially had the impression that FWAs meant work from home, and that all FWA requests should be approved, the Ministry of Manpower has said.
Addressing these concerns in response to a Parliamentary query, the ministry said: "Tripartite partners have assured employers that they will have the prerogative to grant or reject requests, as FWAs must make sense for businesses to be sustainable. "
The ministry also affirmed that FWAs go beyond telecommuting, and include flexi-hours and flexi-load.
Another key concern raised, shared by both employers and employees, is the impact of the Guidelines on workplace culture. More specifically, some employers are worried that their employees might use FWAs irresponsibly which might impact team productivity and business clients. On the other hand, some employees may be concerned that their performance could be unfairly appraised if they use FWAs.
According to the ministry, such issues underscore the importance of clear communication and setting the right expectations at the workplace. He encouraged employers to communicate expectations upfront on how employees should use FWAs responsibly. Meanwhile, employers should also appraise their employees’ performance based on actual work delivered.
"We will continue to raise awareness and capability among employers on how to implement FWAs at their workplaces."
Current efforts include e-learning modules, FWA policy templates, case studies and sector specific guides.
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