More and more countries are getting on the telecommuting and work-from-home arrangements including Singapore. For one, the arrangement enables to take advantage of the available resource and technology that we have today which is the internet, and it addresses other relevant issues (e.g. traffic problems and unemployment) in society, as well. Just last week, the Philippines has signed the Telecommuting Act which grants workers corporate benefits enjoyed by those who work in the office or in the private sector.
However, with this kind of arrangement labour laws need to put a clear stamp on how employees can maximize their time at work while enjoying the benefits offered by this setup vs working in the office or on-site.
More Flexible Work Arrangements Now Available for Workers: MOM Report
From the data under the Conditions of Employment Report shared by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the share of workers in Singapore whose companies offer flexible work arrangements continues to increase, as the types of arrangements offered here continue to expand, as shared in a report by the Straits Times.
Based on the report from last year, 72% of employees worked in companies that offer at least one type of arrangement including part-time work, flexi-hours or tele-working, up from 70% in 2017.
Also, more employees were offered at least one ad-hoc arrangement. The figure went up to 87% last year, up from 81% in 2017, based on the same report released last Wednesday (January 16).
Having these types of arrangements are critical for businesses, as employees are more likely to stay with a company that offer such options, especially as the new generation of workers value flexibility among the benefits of a ob offered by companies, as explained by Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad.
According to the report released by MOM, the provision of flexible work arrangements played a big role on staff retention among various workplace sectors.