Singapore's government announced that it will be easier for employees to request flexible work arrangements following the approval of mandatory guidelines which will take effect from 1 December 2024.

The government accepted all ten recommendations by the Tripartite Workgroup on the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement (FWA) Requests. The mandatory guidelines will shape the right norms and expectations around FWAs by setting out how employees should request and use FWAs and how employers and supervisors should handle FWA requests.

Employers are expected to abide by the guidelines when they come into effect. The guidelines also acknowledge that employers continue to have the prerogative to decide on work arrangements.

The Tripartite Workgroup was convened in September 2023 to develop a set of guidelines for FWA requests to be considered in a practical manner, taking into account the needs of employees and businesses. The Tripartite Workgroup has benefitted from consultations with various stakeholders, including employees, employers, and human resource professionals, who agree that communication and trust between employers and employees are necessary for FWAs to be effective and sustainable.

"As such, the guidelines establish how formal FWA requests should be made, how employers should consider such requests in a proper manner, and the requirement to communicate decisions on such requests in a transparent and timely manner," the Ministry stated.

Edwin Ng, co-chair of the Tripartite Workgroup, said, "While more employers have implemented FWAs, there may be specific needs of an individual employee which may not be covered by his or her employer's FWA policy. As such, the Tripartite Guidelines on FWA Requests will guide employees to make requests for FWAs responsibly and help employers assess such requests properly. This would help to maintain harmonious employment relations as both employees and employers can discuss practical and sustainable work arrangements that can meet the needs of both parties. Nonetheless, employers can and should continue with their existing FWA practices if they have worked well for them and their employees."

The Tripartite Workgroup has recommended taking an enabling and educational approach in implementing the Guidelines. This includes equipping employees and employers with the resources and skills to consider FWA requests properly.

Yeo Wan Ling, co-chair of the Tripartite Workgroup said, "Access to Flexible Work Arrangements is often the main consideration for caregivers, women workers and senior workers when it comes to deciding to stay or return to the workforce. The Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests is a milestone enhancement to the normalization of FWAs in the workplace, as it puts into place formalized and clear processes for workers to request for flexible work arrangements. At the heart of successful FWA implementations is the building of a trust culture in the workplace."

Gan Siow Huang, minister of state for manpower and co-chair of the Tripartite Workgroup, said, "Flexible work arrangements can be beneficial for both employees and employers. They enable employees to achieve better work-life harmony, and give employers a competitive advantage in talent attraction and retention. To reap these benefits, FWAs must be implemented on the basis of trust and mutual understanding between employer and employee. The Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests will shape norms and expectations around FWAs so that our workplaces can be more inclusive and productive."