New rules on flexi-work requests aim to draw people to workforce: Work group

Guidelines will help unlock manpower potential, expand talent pool for firms

- Tay Hong Yi

New rules that say employers must fairly consider employee requests for flexible work arrangements are aimed at drawing in and retaining people who would otherwise not work, according to the work group behind the rules.

The Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests will help to unlock the potential of the local workforce, said a panel comprising members of the work group and industry bodies on April 23.

"The guidelines are not meant to cast aside the strong work ethic that we have as a country that has got us where we are, and is, in fact, quite the opposite," said Mr Edwin Ng, Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) honorary secretary and one of three co-chairs of the 11-strong work group.

He was responding, as part of the panel, to questions from the media alongside fellow co-chair, Minister of State for Manpower Gan Siow Huang, at the Ministry of Manpower headquarters in Havelock Road.

Mr Ang Yuit, president of the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, and Mr Sim Gim Guan, SNEF's executive director, rounded off the panel, which sought to address concerns raised after the announcement of the guidelines on April 15.

These include the risk of promoting offshoring of local jobs, ways to foster restraint and responsibility among both employers and employees, and the range of arrangements the guidelines cover.

"I hope people will calm down and have a care to read the (tripar -tite guidelines)," said Ms Gan, who is also Minister of State for Education.