Percentage of Civil Servants who Use Childcare Sick Leave and also Eligible for Flexible Work Arrangements

88 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Prime Minister (a) for each year in the past five years, what percentage of public servants who use childcare sick leave are also eligible for flexible work arrangements; and (b) if such data is not being collected, whether the Ministry will start collecting it.

Mr Chan Chun Sing (for the Prime Minister): There are three main types of flexible work arrangements (FWAs) offered in the Civil Service: staggered work hours, telecommuting and part-time arrangements. All civil servants are eligible for FWAs as long as the nature of their job role allows for it. Hence, we do not track eligibility per se.

Public servants who have childcare and eldercare needs can discuss with their supervisors and HR department on arrangements that balance their personal needs with professional responsibilities. These can include tapping on the Civil Service leave provisions for childcare and parent care, as well as adopting FWAs suited to the nature of their job and operational context, or even discussing redeployment opportunities.