No basis for employers to cut pay if flexi-work does not affect productivity: Gan Siow Huang

[Windwaver]

On concerns that flexi-work would result in more jobs offshoring, the Minister of State for Manpower said it was more important to make sure Singapore's workers stay globally competitive in skills and productivity.

SINGAPORE: Employers with workers on flexible work arrangements have no basis to cut their pay if their productivity is not affected, Minister of State for Manpower Gan Siow Huang said on Tuesday (May 7).

She was responding to a question by Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) Raj Thomas on how the tripartite guidelines on flexible work arrangement requests would interact with the progressive wage model.

The new guidelines, which come into effect on Dec 1, require all employers to have a process for their employees to request flexible work arrangements.

Employers must give fair consideration to the requests and respond within two months. They can reject a request on "reasonable business grounds", and must give the employee the reason in writing.

The progressive wage model provides a structure for wages to rise along with training and productivity improvements. It covers lower-wage local workers in certain sectors, like cleaning and security.

Mr Thomas asked whether an employer would have to reject a worker's request for flexible work arrangements if it meant the worker would work fewer days, bringing his or her gross wage below the prescribed floor of the model.

Ms Gan questioned the assumption that pay would be reduced in the first place, saying that employers have to pay competitively to attract and retain good workers.

"For workers who are on flexible work arrangements, if their work output, productivity is not affected, actually there is no basis for employers to reduce their pay," she said.

Manpower Minister Tan See Leng said that "the spirit of the PWM (progressive wage model) should really lead the entire thinking" behind the implementation of any guidelines.

He said the guidelines on flexible work arrangements were based on tripartism and collaboration, and represented a "very nuanced approach".

"I think we are moving into newer waters, and I would seek an appeal to the understanding, the support and also the patience of all of us together as one united society, to come together to make this work for the betterment of all of our future generations of workers."

Dr Wan Rizal (PAP-Jalan Besar) raised concerns from workers who may want flexible work arrangements but fear if their personal issues, like mental health, are aired in the process, that this could hurt their career progression.

Ms Gan reiterated that employers must assess employees' performance and pay them fairly based on work done, and not discriminate based on health conditions that do not affect their performance.

After the guidelines were announced, some employers told CNA that as managing remote teams becomes more common, they may rethink hiring local staff and look overseas for recruitment, particularly given the difference in costs.

Members of the tripartite working group that drafted the guidelines, co-chaired by Ms Gan, have said that ensuring the local workforce stays competitive will be key as Singapore normalises flexible work arrangements.

On Tuesday, Ms Gan reiterated that remote work and outsourcing are already global trends regardless of Singapore's guidelines.

"Even if foreigners are not working in Singapore ... they will still be competing with us when working in companies overseas," she said.

It was more important for local workers to continually upskill and stay productive to compete for jobs not just in Singapore, but globally, she added.

MP Cheryl Chan (PAP-East Coast) then asked whether Singapore would see more offshoring of jobs as a result of the flexible work arrangement guidelines.

She also asked whether middle-aged professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) would be disadvantaged by the guidelines and by the redesign of job roles to accommodate flexible work arrangements.

Ms Gan replied that flexible work arrangements were not limited to flexi-place arrangements (like working from home), and did not mean workers will be less productive.

She added that businesses were driven by their own bottom lines in assessing talent and costs.

"I think we should not pretend that without flexible work arrangements, there'll be less offshoring," she said.

"I would also point out that elsewhere, in the US, for example, we are also seeing some tech companies putting out statements that remote work does not work for them.

"There seems to be some suggestion that actually, for certain sectors and for certain types of work, physical on-site presence, teamwork, all these are still very key."

She said that some companies in Singapore have shared similar feedback, adding: "For those, I think offshoring may not be a natural choice, and certainly would not be affected by these guidelines."

Ms Gan said that the focus for middle-aged PMETs is on making sure they have the right skills and on their "career health" to make sure they stay employable.

Addressing MPs' questions, she also reiterated that the guidelines do not mandate flexible work arrangements or set hard targets.

"For flexible work arrangements to be successful, it must make businesses sustainable for the employers," she said.

"It does not make sense to require businesses to offer flexible work arrangements, even when it negatively impacts business and affects employment prospects for Singaporeans."

[Playtime]

Already reap huge savings from all the cost transferred to workers:

office space. 

electricity and water. 

Furniture. 

Miscellaneous office equipment from writing instruments to printing. 

Work hours become any hour. 

 

I think workers need protection more than ever. 

Don't talk about pay cut... it should increase. 

 

[Ct3833]

On 5/7/2024 at 6:30 PM, Playtime said:

Already reap huge savings from all the cost transferred to workers:

office space. 

electricity and water. 

Furniture. 

Miscellaneous office equipment from writing instruments to printing. 

Work hours become any hour. 

 

I think workers need protection more than ever. 

Don't talk about pay cut... it should increase. 

 

I wish you are my boss. 😅

[Stary]

del

Edited May 7 by Stary

[Jman888]

[Arogab]

I am on Flex work hours, I am managing a company with 2 business units. My boss ask me to go play golf and entertain my customers too. But then......

 

[inlinesix]

On 5/7/2024 at 7:07 PM, Arogab said:

I am on Flex work hours, I am managing a company with 2 business units. My boss ask me to go play golf and entertain my customers too. But then......

 

Isn’t that part of work🤭

[Sosaria]

Last time before covid, few used zoom or skype for local dealings. Teams was unheard of. Whatsapp mainly for family or friends. Most of us used desktop PC that we switched off and left it in the office at the end of the day and weekends.

Today we have flexi work, and we spend more hours at home but with all the conferencing apps and WhatsApp work groups and laptop that you supposed to bring home for WFH, it turns out that we are working all the time.

[Arogab]

On 5/7/2024 at 6:10 PM, inlinesix said:

Isn’t that part of work🤭

KNN, this is the key phrase in this stupiak aricle lah. Where got "ho khun ho jiak" job

"flexible work arrangements have no basis to cut their pay if their productivity is not affected"

Boss : I don't expect you to be in the office all the time. Your work hours is flexible......

* But my business must be good, must make money, customers must be happy, must have new customers keep coming in all the time. Must meet the budget and the KPIs. Blah Blah Blah OK

[Ct3833]

On 5/7/2024 at 7:07 PM, Arogab said:

I am on Flex work hours, I am managing a company with 2 business units. My boss ask me to go play golf and entertain my customers too. But then......

 

My boss and business partners also always ask me to play golf, but the problem is after half a day golf, i have to use my sleeping time to catch up my work 

[Inlinefour]

flexi work is indirectly asking local firm to outsource workforce to overseas cheaper support since no difference of sleep oops typo work from bedroom oops typo home  

 

many WFH friends are worrying either FT or AI took over especially my ChoBoLan sleep@bedroom friends 

 

uniquely Sillypore...SimplyGone together with erp2.0 

[Volvobrick]

On 5/7/2024 at 8:27 PM, Inlinefour said:

flexi work is indirectly asking local firm to outsource workforce to overseas cheaper support since no difference of sleep oops typo work from bedroom oops typo home  

 

many WFH friends are worrying either FT or AI took over especially my ChoBoLan sleep@bedroom friends 

 

uniquely Sillypore...SimplyGone together with erp2.0 

Absolutely right! If can be done from home, then it can be done from India/Philippines/Bali.... 

[Inlinefour]

On 5/7/2024 at 8:45 PM, Volvobrick said:

Absolutely right! If can be done from home, then it can be done from India/Philippines/Bali.... 

shhh dun picah Gen Gan lobang 

 

actually they are refering to themselves all sleep at home collecting multi million 🤑🤑🤑

[13177]

On 5/7/2024 at 7:14 PM, Sosaria said:

Last time before covid, few used zoom or skype for local dealings. Teams was unheard of. Whatsapp mainly for family or friends. Most of us used desktop PC that we switched off and left it in the office at the end of the day and weekends.

Today we have flexi work, and we spend more hours at home but with all the conferencing apps and WhatsApp work groups and laptop that you supposed to bring home for WFH, it turns out that we are working all the time.

In a way i view flexi work arrangement might mean what you have said, turns out that we are working all the time and work can be done at anywhere, which work would eat into our personal time and space.

Think i still prefer last time before covid, no zoom, no need bring computer back home even using laptop, cannot access company network from home and we work 100% in office and end work at the end of the day and we go home leaving work behind and then have our personal time and space.

[Throttle2]

Talk is CHEAP !

 

[Windwaver]

On 5/7/2024 at 10:18 PM, 13177 said:

In a way i view flexi work arrangement might mean what you have said, turns out that we are working all the time and work can be done at anywhere, which work would eat into our personal time and space.

Think i still prefer last time before covid, no zoom, no need bring computer back home even using laptop, cannot access company network from home and we work 100% in office and end work at the end of the day and we go home leaving work behind and then have our personal time and space.

https://www.quora.com/Do-fish-get-bored-living-in-an-aquarium-for-all-of-their-life/answer/Anthony-Washington-107

Do fish get bored living in an aquarium for all of their life?

I’m pretty sure they do. But as long as their needs are met, they can still love their lives. Even the best tank at an aquarium can’t compare with the majestic seas but they can live longer in a tank since there are no predators.

If you think about it, humans sorta live in a self imposed “tank”. The earth is 196 million square miles large yet most of us stay within a 20 mile radius for the majority of our lives. We wake up at the same time, eat more or less the same foods, drive the same car to our same job, and go back to our same home to do the same mundane activities, then we go to sleep, wake up, and do it all over again. But as long as our basic needs are met and we have company, we don’t really complain of boredom. Just think of that same concept on a more simplistic level with fish.

Maybe fish don’t really expect much more out of life since they were already bred and raised in a pet store tank before you purchased it. As long as they have food, a clean & safe environment, and other fish to keep them company, they should be alright. That’s just like humans. As long as we have food, shelter, security, and loved ones around, we’ll be just fine!

I usually stay within a 10 mile radius 99.99% of the time and I barely ever wonder what life is like on the other side of the Earth. So I would assume that a pet fish is not worried about missing out on the deep blue sea. They adapt to their environment and make the most out of their existence.

[Sosaria]

On 5/7/2024 at 10:18 PM, 13177 said:

In a way i view flexi work arrangement might mean what you have said, turns out that we are working all the time and work can be done at anywhere, which work would eat into our personal time and space.

Think i still prefer last time before covid, no zoom, no need bring computer back home even using laptop, cannot access company network from home and we work 100% in office and end work at the end of the day and we go home leaving work behind and then have our personal time and space.

That's right, last time, if there's work to do and cannot finish, we have to stay back in office past knock-off time to complete it.

Nowadays, sure, no matter what's the backlog, we can knock-off on time, eat dinner at home with family, but after that, continue working.....  Pros and cons.

 

Edited May 7 by Sosaria

[Ahwhye]

flexi work arrangement can mean flexi location, from WFH to outsourcing to other countries...

flexi work arrangement also can mean flexi hours, from work done 收工 to @Arogab's no-upper-limit working hours

it all depends on who call the shots in these arrangement, and without doubt will make the most out of it...

yeah millions dollars ministar tell us to stay competitive 

Quote

On concerns that flexi-work would result in more jobs offshoring, the Minister of State for Manpower said it was more important to make sure Singapore's workers stay globally competitive in skills and productivity.