Nearly 30 per cent of Chye Thiam’s staff have some form of flexible work arrangement (FWA).
The service provider is among companies rolling out FWAs ahead of mandatory guidelines, which kick in on Sunday (Dec 1) and require businesses to have a proper process for requests.
The firm said providing such flexibility has helped to retain current staff better and attract new talent. This includes Mr Khoo Hock Soon, who quit a job that required him to work regular hours to join Chye Thiam.
“This timing of 3pm to 9pm fits me. In the morning, I can do my chores,” said the cleaner.
The company said it is working with clients and people managers to smooth out concerns on disruptions.
“Challenges faced at this juncture is the receptiveness of the service buyer to FWA,” said Mr Frankie Yung, human resources and administration director at Chye Thiam.
“(An) internal mindset change has to also come in place, whereby operation leaders and supervisors have to rethink and rejig how they do planning and scheduling of the workers on the ground.”
CONCERNS OVER FWA APPROVALS
Some employers have voiced concerns over fears they are obliged to accommodate all FWA requests.
Minister of State for Manpower Gan Siow Huang encouraged employers to refer to the tripartite guidelines, reiterating that firms do not need to approve all FWA requests.
Guidelines state that employers should assess each request properly on a case-by-case basis, and approvals should be viable from the business point of view.
“Ultimately, flexible arrangements have to make business sense for them to be sustainable. It’s also the company’s prerogative to decide which requests are supportable,” Ms Gan said.
She added that while corporations can deny requests, they “have to explain to the employees the reason, based on business grounds, for the rejection”.
NTUC’s assistant secretary-general Yeo Wan Ling said it is important to balance the needs of the employees with those of the employers.
“It is important that the unions, the labour movement, weigh in together with our workers, to let people know that there is a proper way to consider FWA requests,” she said.
