Starting from December 1, 2024, all employers in Singapore must fairly consider formal requests from employees for flexible work arrangements (FWAs) under the new Tripartite Guidelines.
While the guidelines cover the processes for submitting and evaluating FWA requests, they do not dictate the outcomes, aligning with practices in other countries like the UK and Australia.
Furthermore, the guidelines aim to broaden the scope of FWAs beyond remote or hybrid work arrangements, emphasizing considerations for flexi-time and flexi-load arrangements, including staggered work hours, part-time work, or job sharing.
The workgroup emphasizes that employers retain the prerogative to decide on the viability of FWAs from a business standpoint. Additionally, the guidelines aim to keep administrative burdens minimal to ensure compliance across all firms.
These guidelines will apply to all employees post-probation and pertain only to formal requests, while non-formal requests should still be allowed to be raised, discussed, and decided upon based on consensus.
