From December 1, 2024, Singapore’s new rules on flexible paint system (FWA) programs will come into effect, and employers will need to carefully review FWA programs based on paint-related grounds.
Instead, Minister of State for Education and Minister of State for Manpower Gan Siow Huang responded to a series of parliamentary questions in the tripartite on requests for hotels with flexible paints (TG-FWAR).
The ministry responds to questions about:
He highlighted for the first time that Singapore’s population is ageing rapidly: one in four Singaporeans will be over the age of 65 by 2030.
MOS Gan added that more seniors will continue to run in a more flexible way.
“Flexible paint agreements are another important initiative that will help us maximize our local painting potential in the long term.
Employers who apply the FWA well will also benefit, as they will be able to hire a larger pool of local labor,” explained MOS Gan.
He also noted that the rules had been evolved and consulted widely among the tripartite group, employees, industry unions, employers, and human resources professionals, and he was confident that the FWA would be mandatory or set strict targets.
“There are a myriad of businesses, types of services and desires of specific sectors that vary widely and cater to other segments of the economy, adding services.
“For FWA to be successful, it wants businesses to be sustainable for employers. “
“It makes no sense to require corporations to offer FWAs even if it negatively affects their businesses and the job prospects of Singaporeans.
“Therefore, entrepreneurs deserve to continue to have the prerogative to make appropriate arrangements for the team, the company and the customers,” he said.
MOS Gan is also under pressure that the purpose of the rules is to ensure that the right criteria are set and that workers and their employers can have constructive talks so that either side can mutually amplify the FWA’s demands.
“Therefore, employers deserve to consider FWA programs based on business criteria, such as the needs of tasks and the impact on business productivity.
“Tripartite partners agree that this is a moderate and practical technique that balances the wishes of employers and employees,” shared MOS Gan.
In this sense, the Power has responded to two of the main considerations of the deputies.
Firstly, the effect of the FWA on entrepreneurs and the support available.
MOS Gan explained that FWA only means working from home. In fact, there is a wide variety of FWAs that employers can adopt depending on the industry context and role of the task, while maintaining maximum levels of productivity and ensuring the wishes of their employees. and the organization are satisfied.
“For example, other people who work in industries and jobs where the work wants to be done on-site wouldn’t possibly do it from home, but employers can still explore features like flex hours and flex loads. “
MOS Gan clarified that the formal FWA application procedure according to the rules would be useful basically for organizations that have not yet established a procedure for their workers to apply for FWA. “When a procedure is in place, whether formal or informal, and it works well for both the employer and the worker, the worker uses the procedure stipulated through the company to apply for FWAsArray.
“What is most important is that workers and employers can talk and reach agreements that meet their respective desires and constraints, and harmonious functional relationships,” MOS Gan said.
The Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) and the Institute of Human Resources Professionals will help employers by deploying a variety of self-help resources, such as case studies, templates and e-learning modules. which are available on the TAFEP website.
In addition, TAFEP will hold monthly data sessions for all employers from May.
MOS Gan said: “The first executions have already been underwritten.
“TAFEP will also provide further guidance to employers to understand the types of FWAs they can offer to employees with other needs, such as senior employees who would likely prefer flexibility in loads, or employees with limited mobility who might prefer telecommuting arrangements.
“These resources and information sessions will advise employers on how to comply with the consulting lines and, more importantly, how to properly implement FWA in a way that meets the company’s desires.
Employers can also take advantage of grants such as the Productivity Solutions Grant to offset the prices of FWA adoption, for example for consulting facilities to reconsider jobs or business processes and upgrade their IT systems to FWA,” added MOS Gan.
The ministry also noted that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) may want more targeted support. For this reason, TAFEP and IHRP will work intensively with the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises and SME Centres to organise AOF SME Data Sessions and SME Education Sessions. Implementation.
Secondly, the ministry referred to the influence on the employability of the population and its attractiveness as a business centre.
Regarding the possible effect of the rules on the employment prospects of Singaporeans, MOS Gan said that with or without rules, remote operation and outsourcing are already global trends, especially the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Whether this trend continues will depend on whether employers make business sense and will want to weigh the pros and cons.
“Similarly, even if foreigners don’t paint in Singapore, they will compete with us when they paint in overseas companies.
“What’s most vital is that our people frequently upskill their skills, strengthen our competitive advantage and remain productive. Then we will be able to compete well for jobs, not only in Singapore, but also globally,” said MOS Gan.
MOS Gan concluded his speech by highlighting some key takeaways:
“Employees want to use FWA responsibly, even as employers scale HR processes and functions to implement FWA successfully and productively.
“Finally, we will continue to supply resources and equipment for this, and we hope that employers and workers will do their part to achieve win-win outcomes and, in the end, create more inclusive workplaces in Singapore,” MOS Gan concluded.
Adding to the verbal exchange in a separate parliamentary response, when asked about TG-FWAR in the context of civil service, Minister of Education and Acting Minister of Public Service Chan Chun Sing said: “We welcome greater adoption of FWA. in the public service as we try to better balance public servants in their professional and non-public day-to-day jobs (e. g. caregiving tasks) as they perform our duties and serve the public.
READ MORE: Frequently Asked Questions on Singapore’s Upcoming Guidelines on Flexible Work Accommodation Requests
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