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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."

The construction of this canal will have a big impact on Singapore maritime traffic. http://mothership.sg/2015/05/the-canal-that-will-sink-spores-maritime-trade-dominance-is-one-step-closer-to-fruition/

Notice yesterday & today that my GPS got problem getting signal. Wonder if it has anything to do with the haze or just my device problem. Anybody has the same problem?

Can any one advise as resale price is a old coe , how can price increase affect resale car price.

Just wondering, in the context of changing car's color, are there cheaper / more expensive colors? Of course only for standard colors and not talking about special effect paint ( Pearl / Reflex / Iridescent / Satin / etc... ) Or is the $$$ differenc negligible?

Dear All, My wife got into an accident recently with a car under my name. Damage was in the 15k region and the car was a write-off. The car was under my name, so I am guessing my future premiums will be affected. If I were to buy another car, should I put it under her name or my name? Generally whose premium will be higher? Aside from our gender, our profiles are fairly similar. Thanks.

Did it affect you? For me it did. Before - Was already going to get a BMW X3 35 After - not buying anymore. Going to tune my car after warranty ends. Keep car till 6 to 8 years

everytime i place my iphone on my left seat, there is sometimes speaker interferance even when i mute the music, still goes on. any suggestions?

Will easing up in cost further lower price of cars imported from EU? http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin...1243082/1/.html

Anyone wan to share ?

Kena rear ended yesterday, kena rear ended today...... Wish to know will mod parts such as bigger rims affect my claim against the other party?

Just changed battery recently. The car suddenly feels more powerful than before. Although I only used my butt dyno for measurement, I am quite sure this is not my imagination. How is this possible?

Hi, anyone can advise me, wat is the function of red arrow area? I was trying to tidy up my car, n i found damn lots of dried leaves in that area. Didnt managed to "dig" out all, but only most of the bigger leaves So i would like to know wat is the function of that area, and how will so much dry leaves affect my ride Also, i realise, my undercarriage(front), something unusal as shown below: comparing the drop-down (circle) and the flush-in (arrow), can anyone tells me wat is it? and will it affect my ride?

Chinese married couple clueless about sex By News Desk in Kuala Lumpur/The Star | ANN

Whose car is affected by the hot weather? Example...fc goes down, power goes down...sluggish. Maybe mine is 1.5l niah so quite affected by it. Otherwise...it is shiok...when the weather is cool...a lot of difference. Who experience or feel the same?

My ride 05 civic based on SG fuel RON 92 - When RPM go above 3K the engine vibrating violently and will lag before picking up speed RON 95 - When RPM go above 3.5K the engine vibrating abit but will not lag when picking up speed. RON 98

Will it be alot from 17/205/45 and 17/215/45

I was just wondering if the type of music you listen to while driving, will affect your driving. For example, if i listen to techno/Eurodance, i tend to drive faster/more aggressively compared to if i were listening to jazz/classical instead.

as per subject... when it goes up, i will be able to sell higher to agent?

I brought a civic from AD last month but the year of Manufacture is 2008, does is affect anything?

Recently my fren complain to me the distance and time he needs to travel to his new workplace, from Serangoon North to Pandan Road. He was retrenched two mths back and found a new job in a job fair after numerous applications. He is in his mid-40s. His previous work place was in Loyang and travel to work using CTE-TPE. New job is at Pandan and he uses CTE-AYE to get to work. He complain to me that he needs at least 1.5 - 2hrs to get back home daily thus reaching home sometimes 8+pm which he felt not worth it + need to pay ERP. He thinking of quiting due to the travelling time and look for another job near his place. I stay in the north and work in the south, to me, travel time of 1 to 1.5hrs is normal. I told him to tahan 1st as this is his new job after being retrenched and the economy is not doing so well. But not sure how long more he can tahan.

Retirement age of SAF officers to be raised from 45 to 50 By Jeremy Koh/Satish Cheney, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 14 May 2009 1712 hrs Photos 1 of 1 Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) SINGAPORE : The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has announced several new and enhanced career schemes for its personnel. These include raising the retirement age of SAF officers and a new military domain expert scheme (MDES). The retirement age for SAF officers will be raised from 45 to 50. Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean said this will ensure their leadership abilities and experience are retained. He announced the changes during a visit to Sembawang Airbase on Thursday. For regulars, there will be the MDES, with a retirement age of 60. The aim is to nurture a group of personnel who have deep professional expertise in key military domains, such as engineering and intelligence. The military domain experts will have a new eight-rank structure from ME1 to ME8. Mr Teo said: "Military domain experts will work with cutting-edge systems, receive more academic and professional upgrading opportunities, as well as attractive market based remuneration. Military domain experts with diplomas will have opportunities to upgrade their skills and qualifications through degree level." Mr Teo also announced that warrant officers will have expanded job scope and responsibilities. For instance, they will assume roles previously undertaken by junior officers. To allow for a faster progression through the ranks, a new 3rd Warrant Officer rank will be introduced. With this new rank, high-performing specialists can attain their warrant officership as early as the end of their sixth year in service. There will also be more opportunities for them to upgrade themselves professionally and academically. The Ministry of Defence will implement these enhanced and new schemes by the first quarter of 2010. - CNA/ms

Current ride is without Solar Film and thinking of installing either the 3M or Huper. The question is will the solar film affect the GPS reception ? Because I do notice that some film like Huper will cut out an opening just above the ERP IU for better reception so not too sure if GPS will be affected. Thanks for advise given.

http://voanews.com/english/2008-09-13-voa26.cfm China Detains 19 After 432 Babies Poisoned by Contaminated Milk Powder By VOA News 13 September 2008 Chinese authorities say they have detained 19 people after at least 432 babies developed kidney stones blamed on contaminated milk powder. A senior Health Ministry official told reporters Saturday that authorities ordered the Sanlu Group, which produced the contaminated milk powder, to stop production. China's official Xinhua news agency said police are questioning 78 suspects in the city of Shijiazhuang, where Sanlu is based. Investigators say dairy farmers may have added a dangerous chemical to milk linked to one infant death and the other illnesses. Xinhua said Friday that investigators suspect farmers added the chemical to conceal that water added to the milk. The chemical melamine would make the milk appear to have a higher protein content. An official who is part of the nationwide probe said Friday that those responsible for the contamination will face severe punishment. The company blamed its suppliers for the contamination. But a Chinese media report on Friday said Sanlu knew about the problem in August and decided not to inform the public. Sanlu waited until it became the target of a government investigation to announce that it found melamine in its products. The company issued a recall on Thursday for about 700 tons of baby formula produced before August 6th. Sanlu is a leading maker of dairy products and is partly owned by New Zealand company Fonterra. Reports say some of the products could have made their way into overseas markets. Melamine is used in plastics, fertilizers and flame retardants. Some information for this report provided by AP. ---------------- better play safe dun let ur bb drink any bovine milk fr china.

Was thinking of installing Necvox-9269 rooftop 9-inch monitor. [inline "necvox B1003224917.jpg"] Need to seek opinion of those who have installed rooftop monitor, whether it will affect the rear mirror's view? I am going to collect my Stream RSZ end of this month and I am 1.75m tall. How about 10.4-inch monitor? Any difference to rear mirror's view?