Measures to Promote Flexible Work Arrangements for Work-life Harmony and to Facilitate Caregivers and Women Returning to Workforce

6 Ms Yeo Wan Ling asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether there have been studies done by the Ministry to understand the issues faced by women who are not in formal employment which prevent them from joining the workforce; and (b) what are the recent measures that the Ministry has put in place to encourage (i) employers to employ these individuals and (ii) these individuals to return to work after time away from the workforce.

7 Ms Yeo Wan Ling asked the Minister for Manpower (a) in the past year, what are the common issues brought up to the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) in relation to mediation cases on flexible work arrangements (FWAs); and (b) whether there have been any studies conducted on the impact of FWAs on work-life harmony and performance appraisals.

8 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry is studying the impact of caregiving on a caregiver's career, finances and retirement adequacy; (b) in the last three years, how many caregivers have to (i) give up their jobs and (ii) switch to part-time jobs in order to provide care for an elderly family member, respectively; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider some financial support for such caregivers.

9 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether the Ministry has conducted any survey to assess if caregivers find the support schemes for returning to the workforce sufficient; and (b) what other support measures are needed to help caregivers acquire relevant industry skills and prepare them for their return to the workforce, whilst looking after their loved ones.

The Minister of State for Manpower (Ms Gan Siow Huang) (for the Minister for Manpower): Mr Speaker, may I take Parliamentary Question Nos 6 to 9 by Ms Yeo Wan Ling and Ms Joan Pereira together as a combined response.

Mr Speaker: Yes, please.

Ms Gan Siow Huang: The Government provides support for caregivers in several ways. These include supporting their caregiving needs directly, enabling working caregivers to better manage both work and their caregiving responsibilities through flexible work arrangements, aiding their re-entry into the workforce through employment facilitation and training support, and strengthening their retirement adequacy.

The Government provides support for families with caregiving needs through subsidised care services and grants. For instance, all families with Singaporean children enrolled in ECDA-licensed childcare centres receive a universal basic subsidy, and some families receive additional means-tested subsidies. Eligible Singaporeans receive subsidies of up to 80% for non-residential eldercare services, such as day care and day rehabilitation services. We also provide financial assistance, such as through Home Caregiving Grant and Pioneer Generation Disability Assistance Scheme, to those with moderate to severe disability, to defray the cost of caregiving. Eligible caregivers of young children, elderly persons and persons with disabilities can also apply for the Migrant Domestic Worker Levy Concession if they need more help to look after their loved ones. Altogether, these allow caregivers to go back to work with peace of mind.

To further help working caregivers, the Government and tripartite partners are strengthening efforts to encourage the adoption of flexible work arrangements (FWAs). We have developed resources such as implementation guides and FWA policy templates, and conducted workshops to guide employers in implementing FWAs. Other than the Tripartite Standard and Tripartite Advisory on FWAs, MOM and tripartite partners had formed the Alliance for Action on Work-Life Harmony last year to facilitate the exchange of best practices, including in sectors that face greater challenges implementing FWAs. We are further sustaining this momentum by growing and equipping a community of Work-Life Ambassadors to support these efforts in the workplaces. Employers and employees who require advice or assistance on FWAs may also approach the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) for advice and assistance. In 2021, TAFEP did not receive any cases relating to disputes on FWAs.

One positive trend is that Singapore’s full-time female employment rate has been rising steadily over the last 10 years. However, there is still a small proportion of women who have not been able to participate in the workforce due to caregiving responsibilities. In 2020, 15% of women cited family-related responsibilities as the main reason for being outside the labour force, while 6% were working part-time due to family or personal commitments. When they are ready to work or to participate more fully in the workforce, women can tap on Workforce Singapore (WSG)'s employment facilitation programmes and services, as well as SkillsFuture Singapore's training programmes. For example, the Career Trial programme provides a trial period of up to three months, for the employer and jobseeker to assess their mutual job fit, with an allowance provided by the Government during the trial. Career Conversion Programmes provide training and salary support to employers who hire and reskill mid-career jobseekers for new occupations. Eligible working caregivers receive Workfare Income Supplement, which provides up to $4,000 in cash and CPF top-ups annually for those earning lower wages.

Let me share an example of how WSG's efforts have helped full-time caregivers get back to work. Ms Audrey Ong, currently in her 40s, quit her corporate job as a regional marketing manager in 2017 to spend more time with her son who was taking his Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) that year. When she was ready to return to the workforce in 2019, after her son became older and was a teenager, she wanted a second career that was both meaningful and manageable. Audrey came across testimonials on WSG's webpage of mid-career professionals who completed the two-year Career Conversion Programme for Registered Nurses (Degree) and she signed up for it. Her family was very supportive of her new endeavour. Audrey has since completed her two-year training stint and started her new job as a Staff Nurse with SingHealth Community Hospitals last year.

Staying employed is key to financial resilience and retirement adequacy. With increasing participation in the workforce and higher wages, successive cohorts of Singaporeans have been able to accumulate more CPF savings for retirement today compared to a decade ago.

Aside from helping caregivers accumulate more CPF savings through better employment outcomes, we have also introduced and enhanced measures in recent years to help all Singaporeans, including caregivers, build sufficient savings for retirement. For caregivers who had lower incomes during their working years and now have less to retire on, the Silver Support Scheme, which was enhanced in 2021, provides quarterly payouts of up to $900. About two-thirds of the Silver Support recipients are women, including many caregivers.

Incentives are also provided for caregivers and their loved ones to top-up their CPF in cash. For example, the Government enhanced the tax incentives for retirement, some topping up scheme from 1 January 2022. Eligible members can also benefit from matching contributions from the Government for CPF cash top-ups under the Matched Retirement Savings Scheme, which was launched in 2021.

Finally, older caregivers can tap on housing monetisation schemes such as Lease Buyback Scheme and Silver Housing Bonus to unlock their housing equity to supplement their retirement needs. The Government will continue to review our multi-pronged efforts to ensure that caregivers are well supported. Feedback from the conversations on Singapore Women's Development on greater support for caregivers will also be considered for the upcoming White Paper on Singapore Women's Development.

Mr Speaker: Ms Yeo Wan Ling.

Ms Yeo Wan Ling (Pasir Ris-Punggol): I thank the Minister of State for her answer. Many of my female constituents have come to me citing that they have difficulties looking for a job due to the following reasons: not being able to fit into a typical 9-to-5 job due to caregiving responsibilities at home and also not being confident due to the lack of formal work skills while being away from the workforce for quite a number of years.

I would like to ask the Minister of State if there will be plans to put into place a database, perhaps for easier access to employers, who have FWA roles available and if there would be support from the Ministry to set up localised mentorship programmes across the island to help ease women into the workplace.

Further, as the dust settles on the effects of COVID-19 in the workplace, many companies are grappling with new HR standards, brought up by COVID-19 accelerated workplace matters. One big area, of course, is in particular, work-from-home. Our constituents have brought up to us that there seems yet to be best practices to measure and appraise the work of individuals in similar roles, but one having to work at home and one having to work in the office. Employees who have also joined the company during COVID-19 are understandably also experiencing steeper learning curves.

And so with this, will the Ministry, perhaps with HR thought leaders, be looking to support our employers, in particular our local SMEs, to set up better and clearer HR policies pertaining to these very new circumstances at the workplace brought up by COVID-19?

Ms Gan Siow Huang: I thank the hon Member Ms Yeo Wan Ling for the two supplementary questions, very valid questions. Today, we have the Tripartite Standard on Flexible Work Arrangements (FWA), which provides recognition to companies that offer flexible work arrangements to their employees and put in place recommended practices, including informing employees on the flexible work arrangements available and the process to evaluate requests from their employees.

Adopters of the tripartite standard are provided with a Tripartite Standard (TS) mark on FWA that they can display on their recruitment materials to distinguish themselves as progressive employers who support the work-life needs of their employees. They are also identified as TS adopters on MyCareersFuture job portal and TAFEP's website. We encourage progressive companies who already offer FWAs or are considering doing so to adopt the Tripartite Standard on FWAs to distinguish themselves to jobseekers and employees.

On availability of mentorship programmes, Workforce Singapore's broad-based employment facilitation programmes and services provide support to all jobseekers, including to caregivers. Customised career coaching services have also been found to be very useful to jobseekers and caregivers alike who have individual and personal aspirations and skill gaps that need to be addressed. Mentoring is actually part of career coaching. I understand that NTUC's Women and Family unit is also starting a pilot programme to mentor women who want to get back to work. This programme, very interestingly involves women union leaders, as well as grassroots leaders coming together to support women in our community who want to return to work. I think this is an excellent Community Programme and I would encourage more community groups to introduce and to support women who want to come back to work in different ways.

As I said earlier, MOM and WSG will continue to review our employment facilitation programmes and services to ensure they remain accessible to jobseekers, including caregivers to help them return to the workforce.

On the second supplementary question, support for SMEs to implement work-from-home and also HR standards to help companies implement work-from-home for their employees, I would say MOM and the tripartite partners do provide resources on how employers, supervisors and HR can implement flexible work arrangements in a way that is fair, sustainable and effective. For example, the Tripartite Advisory on Flexible Work Arrangements sets out that supervisors should communicate expectations clearly upfront, manage and appraise fairly based on work outcomes instead of face time and also have to conduct regular check-ins with staff who are on flexible work arrangements.

At the same time, the advisory highlights the role that employees play in making flexible work arrangements work. Employees should utilise flexible work arrangements responsibly, including being accountable for work deliverables and remaining contactable and responsive while on flexible work arrangements, such as working from home.

Amidst COVID-19, the Institute of HR Professionals has set up a COVID-19 task force to curate resources to help employers and the HR community navigate the new challenges posed by the pandemic. These complementary resources include Institute for Human Resource Professionals' (IHRP) guidance on government advisories and HR tool kits to guide people in business strategies through this challenging period. In particular, the talent development and talent retention tool kits provide reference approaches and recommended practices on Virtual Learning (VL). HR leaders through the IHRP also came together to develop a playbook on hybrid workplaces to guide companies in planning and implementing hybrid work; I mentioned that yesterday.

I encourage companies and HR professionals who may need further support to tap on the wealth of resources and workshops offered by TAFEP and IHRP or join the Work-Life Ambassador and IHRP community.

Beyond resources provided, it will be critical for everyone involved – employers, supervisors, HR professionals and employees, of course – to shift our mindsets and adjust the way we work, so that we can collectively redefine workplace expectations and management processes to achieve more effective work outcomes.

Mr Speaker: Ms Joan Pereira.

Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar): Thank you, Speaker. I thank the Minister of State. I have one supplementary question. I am glad to note and hear that caregivers have successfully tapped on the various schemes of the Career Conversion Programme offered by Workforce Singapore. However, I have met many constituents who are elderly caregivers, who do not know where to turn to, how to navigate the websites. I was just wondering whether MOM is able to provide greater awareness publicity on the schemes in the Career Conversion Programme for these caregivers, especially the elderly ones returning to the workforce.

Ms Gan Siow Huang: I thank the hon Member, Ms Joan Pereira, for the supplementary question. Indeed, one of MOM's focus in the last two years has been reaching out to elderly jobseekers, caregivers included, to make sure that they are able to navigate the wide spectrum of resources available. We have also set up 24 SGUnited Jobs and Skills Centres in HDB estates and these actually have been tremendously helpful, as senior jobseekers, caregivers included, are able to walk in and have face-to-face type of consultation sessions with the career advisers on the spot. Caregivers can also tap on the MrCareersFuture portal to search for jobs that best suit their skill sets and I think this is widely available and known to all.

I think we recognise that it is actually challenging for caregivers, especially those who have not been at work for a long time, to look for jobs. I fully support additional help and support to be made available to them, so that they can get back to work and be able to fulfil their career aspirations, regardless of their age.