Study on Potential Impact of Work-from-home Legislation over Past Two Years on Employers and Employees
Ministry of ManpowerSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns whether the Ministry of Manpower has studied the potential impact of work-from-home legislation on employers and employees over the last two years. Minister for Manpower Dr Tan See Leng stated that no such study has been commissioned, noting that flexible work arrangements are already becoming mainstream as three-quarters of firms provided remote work in 2020. He highlighted the benefits for talent retention and work-life balance alongside concerns regarding staff engagement, collaboration, and employee burnout. The Ministry intends to support these arrangements through implementation resources, such as the Institute for Human Resource Professionals’ Playbook, rather than rushing into legislation. Minister for Manpower Dr Tan See Leng emphasized avoiding rigid rules to prevent eroding workplace trust or creating a litigious culture.
Transcript
57 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry has studied the potential impact of work-from-home legislation over the past two years on employers and employees, respectively; (b) if so, what are the results of this study; and (c) if not, whether the Ministry intends to conduct such a study and by when.
Dr Tan See Leng: We have not commissioned any study of the sort described by the Member, nor do we have plans to do so.
Due to COVID-19, employers have adapted work practices and norms. In 2020, three in four employees worked in firms that provided some form of remote working. Our surveys also show that the majority of employers are keen to continue work-from-home arrangements for at least a quarter of the time, even after the pandemic ends. Moving forward, we expect work-from-home arrangements to become more mainstream. Employers see the value of work-from-home and other flexible work arrangements in talent retention and attraction, while employees enjoy the flexibility and experience better work-life balance.
However, employers have also shared their concerns over the impact on staff engagement and effective collaboration, while employees are concerned over blurred work-life boundaries and the risk of burn-out.
We will continue to work with tripartite partners to sustain the provision and use of flexible work arrangements, which include but are not limited to work-from-home. We will do so by addressing the challenges that employers have faced in implementing them. We will continue to promote implementation resources and tools, such as the Institute for Human Resource Professionals' Playbook on Hybrid Workplaces and the Tripartite Advisory on Mental Well-being at Workplaces. These will help guide companies implement effective hybrid work arrangements and measures to support employees' well-being.
Even as we drive the adoption of flexible work arrangements, tripartite partners have stressed that we should not inadvertently erode trust at the workplace or create a litigious workplace culture by introducing overly rigid rules or rushing into legislation. We will continue to work with tripartite partners to support companies to provide FWAs in an effective and sustainable manner.