A one-stop portal and sector-specific support groups were among a raft of new measures announced yesterday to promote the uptake of flexible work arrangements among employers.
Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Manpower Low Yen Ling told the House the coronavirus outbreak has underscored the need for flexi-work efforts. "Flexi-work arrangements have proven to be useful for both employers and employees, especially in business continuity planning when threats like Covid-19 strike."
Several MPs asked about flexi-work and caregiving issues during the debate, especially for women who have to juggle work and home responsibilities.
In her reply, Ms Low stressed the Government's commitment to making workplaces fairer and more progressive for women, and said it will make offering flexi-work easier for employers.
First, resources to address sector-specific challenges will be developed, including piloting employer support groups through the Institute for Human Resource Professionals.
The Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices' website will also become a one-stop flexi-work resource, and will consolidate flexi-work implementation guides.
There will be a free online tool as well to help employers include flexi-work clauses in their employee contracts, she said.
Noting that implementing flexi-work can be quite daunting for new firms, Ms Low said the Government will have a basic workshop for such businesses.
Their efforts will be recognised by a new provisional tripartite standard on flexi-work arrangements, while more progressive firms can adopt a new standard on work-life harmony.
On MPs' calls to legislate the right to request fewer working hours and for employers to provide flexi-work options as well as parent-care and paid eldercare leave, Ms Low said legislation was "not the silver bullet". A more practical approach is to give employers more choice on various types of flexi-work arrangements, she said.
Mr Louis Ng (Nee Soon GRC) said it was not a "zero-sum game" - the Government can both encourage flexi-work and increase leave at the same time.
Replying to this, Manpower Minister Josephine Teo said "we do not live in an ideal world".
Citing then Labour Minister S. Rajaratnam, who introduced the Employment Bill in 1968, Mrs Teo said: "In order for us to be able to protect employees, we must first have employment."
His comments remain valid today, she said, and employment conditions for all workers will be improved "at the right time".
Ms Low also announced an enhanced online directory for foreign domestic worker (FDW) employment agencies, to be launched in the second quarter of this year. It will display customer ratings of agencies, their policies on FDW replacement and refunding placement loans, and let agencies showcase niche services like FDWs with caregiving skills.
