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

[Stary]

del

 

Edited May 8, 2024 by Stary

[Mkl22]

On 5/7/2024 at 5:02 PM, Arogab said:

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

They want to tell you next time parliament is also online… then lagi everyone can snooze….. and don’t need to be shy about it. 

[Arogab]

On 5/8/2024 at 10:34 AM, Mkl22 said:

They want to tell you next time parliament is also online… then lagi everyone can snooze….. and don’t need to be shy about it. 

Right, talk first. Then implement it. Haha

[Actan72]

some companies will tell the employee the door is there.... pls feel free to walk out

[13177]

On 5/8/2024 at 10:10 AM, Stary said:

I rarely wake up this early, so decide to go to the nearby mall to eat breakfast.  I mean it is like 10am now, should have a lot of seats ....

Wah low,   so many F&B joint full of people having breakfast....like weekend sia. 

Nowadays people don't work one or what?  Maybe this is what flexi work means.....

Fed-up, I went back to my kopi shop downstairs...... 

 

Ya, nowadays any time also crowded with people at eateries and public transport, like people no need to work one.

[Sosaria]

On 5/8/2024 at 10:30 AM, Unfazed said:

We are moving to the scenes of HK my friend. No more at home. Only diff, is those folks there are old folks where homes are small, food at fast food joints could be cheaper.

My son just told me. Nowadays it's cheaper to eat fast food. Got set got drink got fries. If guilty pricks, he switch fries to salad. He and his friends often at fast food and joked we parents should feel lucky they don't frequent Starbucks or like.

House getting smaller, linger fast food joints, pace of life also got faster. Yup think we are moving towards that direction. Just went there in Mar. Saw the old folks. My trip there each time ascertain more it's a sad place to grow old.

Cheers to soulless life...be robots.

Good luck good luck. Kaching kaching...

HK got Shenzhen nearby to go enjoy cheap stuff and change of scene. In fact, in HK, take a short bus or bike trip and you are in nature already, for hikes, etc. in a varied landscape.

And they are one country with PRC, not so much immigration problem to and fro.

In SG we only have JB but have to brave the bottleneck jams because of immigration clearance. And hop on a bus or bike to where?

No nature, no mountain. Only artificial parks and trails.

But for mundane day-to-day living for old folks, SG wins for well thought out town planning; coffeeshop, hawker centre, grocery shop, all downstairs within walking distance.

Edited May 8, 2024 by Sosaria

[inlinesix]

On 5/8/2024 at 1:35 PM, Sosaria said:

HK got Shenzhen nearby to go enjoy cheap stuff and change of scene. In fact, in HK, take a short bus or bike trip and you are in nature already, for hikes, etc. in a varied landscape.

And they are one country with PRC, not so much immigration problem to and fro.

In SG we only have JB but have to brave the bottleneck jams because of immigration clearance. And hop on a bus or bike to where?

No nature, no mountain. Only artificial parks and trails.

We have enough nature parks here.

 

[Unfazed]

On 5/8/2024 at 1:35 PM, Sosaria said:

HK got Shenzhen nearby to go enjoy cheap stuff and change of scene. In fact, in HK, take a short bus or bike trip and you are in nature already, for hikes, etc. in a varied landscape.

And they are one country with PRC, not so much immigration problem to and fro.

In SG we only have JB but have to brave the bottleneck jams because of immigration clearance. And hop on a bus or bike to where?

No nature, no mountain. Only artificial parks and trails.

Yes. Agree with you. The diff I felt was the food, mountain sceneries, ferries and islands. We don't have many of these. Zhuhai Shenzhen yes have crossed over from HK. Things cost lower but I don't love the food, I still prefer HK food very much. Thou Zhuhai Shenzhen near but once cross the border, immediately can feel the culture and hygiene diff in their toilets. Gosh... I will stay within HK unless I have things to buy outside HK.

[Unfazed]

On 5/8/2024 at 1:41 PM, inlinesix said:

We have enough nature parks here.

 

Mentioning them simply puts a shame to ourselves 😀

Nature park? Planter parks better description. 😃

[inlinesix]

On 5/8/2024 at 1:45 PM, Unfazed said:

Mentioning them simply puts a shame to ourselves 😀

Nature park? Planter parks better description. 😃

I am not sure how many of these nature park here you went.

For our land size, it is nothing to be shamed about.

[Sosaria]

On 5/8/2024 at 1:47 PM, inlinesix said:

I am not sure how many of these nature park here you went.

For our land size, it is nothing to be shamed about.

Some people can still get lost here have to call police and activate gurkha search party

We have no challenging hills like HK, with real trails, not those with nice steps prepared and hand-rails like here.

No choice, it's the best we can do, and i guess nparks have a duty to make the places accessible to all, includes kids and elderly.

[Windwaver]

On 5/8/2024 at 6:56 AM, 13177 said:

Some people just prefer simple and stable life. No need to get so happening in their lifestyle. Doing the same things everyday is ok. 😂

Like me loh 

[Windwaver]

On 5/8/2024 at 12:43 PM, 13177 said:

Ya, nowadays any time also crowded with people at eateries and public transport, like people no need to work one.

People are leech, a lot of moni 

[Vratenza]

On 5/8/2024 at 2:42 PM, Sosaria said:

Some people can still get lost here have to call police and activate gurkha search party

We have no challenging hills like HK, with real trails, not those with nice steps prepared and hand-rails like here.

No choice, it's the best we can do, and i guess nparks have a duty to make the places accessible to all, includes kids and elderly.

Yeah..even going up the relatively "manicured" the Peak hiking trail is 10times better than hiking up Bukit timah hill... 

[inlinesix]

On 5/8/2024 at 11:33 PM, Vratenza said:

Yeah..even going up the relatively "manicured" the Peak hiking trail is 10times better than hiking up Bukit timah hill... 

How does it 10times better?

[Vratenza]

On 5/8/2024 at 11:51 PM, inlinesix said:

How does it 10times better?

The length and gradient and challenge for one. The weather for another. And finally the breathtaking view on a clear morning. 

[Beehive3783]

On 5/7/2024 at 5:56 PM, Windwaver said:

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."

In hokkien, we use this term for the army when it come to salary. "Wu zho bo zho dan zhup ho."

Translated to: Regardless if you work or don't work, just wait for the 10th

Why 10th? That's the date army guys get paid  

[Jman888]

On 5/8/2024 at 12:06 PM, Actan72 said:

some companies will tell the employee the door is there.... pls feel free to walk out

unless these companies got big name to attract people to join and stay, if not for SME the door will always be busy for people to walk out