Singapore’s government acknowledges the increasing trend of flexible work arrangements and hence adds S$70 Mn to a scheme aimed at making such work practices more pervasive.

Further, the budget for the Work-Life Grant, which started in 2013, will be increased to S$100 Mn, up from the current S$30 Mn. 

Low Yen Ling, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Manpower said, “This will allow more companies to benefit from the grant to sustain their employees’ flexible work arrangements adoption, including job-sharing by professionals, managers, executives, and technicians (PMETs).”

Low believes that the provision of flexible work arrangements has the greatest impact on staff retention. 

As per the latest report by the Ministry of Manpower, the proportion of firms offering at least one formal flexible work arrangements (FWA) increased from 50 percent in 2017 to 53 percent in 2018 while firms offering at least one ad-hoc FWA went up from 75 percent to 84 percent in the same period.

Government’s plan to encourage flexi-work doesn’t just stop with investing money. The Ministry of Manpower and the Singapore National Employers Federation will also be launching a job-sharing implementation guide for employers by the first half of this year to raise awareness on this form of flexible work arrangement, which is less well-known and practiced among employers.

While the government is getting actively involved in promoting the new culture of working, it is also the responsibility of the companies to build a culture that welcomes such change. Business leaders who have not yet welcomed this change have to shift their mindsets and explore the new style of working for their own benefit. As studies suggest that flexible work arrangements impact retention and engagement positively, its time now that business leaders and all the other employees take it upon themselves to build a culture that encourages and accepts flexi-work.