FLEXIBLE WORK ARRANGEMENTS FOR BETTER BUSINESS RESULTS

Transcription

1 FLEXIBLE WORK ARRANGEMENTS FOR BETTER BUSINESS RESULTS

2 Source: Ministry of Manpower (MOM)

3 INTRODUCTION TO WORK-LIFE STRATEGY WHAT IS A WORK-LIFE STRATEGY? A Work-Life Strategy refers to measures and initiatives which employers put in place to enable employees to better manage responsibilities at work alongside their family and personal needs. An ideal Work-Life Strategy will contain well-thought-out initiatives that cater to the organisation s specifi c needs, and should be accompanied by proper guidelines for a sustainable and effective implementation. A comprehensive Work-Life Strategy includes: WORK-LIFE INFRASTRUCTURE A supportive framework for the implementation of these programmes WORK-LIFE PROGRAMMES Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs) Leave Benefits Employee Support Schemes For specific examples of Work-Life Programmes under each category, please refer to

4 WHY IS A WORK-LIFE STRATEGY IMPORTANT? Singapore s workforce today is multi-generational and organisations are quickly recognising that meeting the diverse range of employee needs across their various life stages through Work-Life Programmes can be a strategic business tool for a win-win outcome in today s competitive business environment. The importance of human capital and the increased competition for talent means that an effective Work-Life Strategy can provide employees with the necessary programmes to integrate various aspects of their lives while meeting work targets. This can give the organisation a significant edge in talent attraction and retention. Advances in technology also allow organisations to be creative and open up more avenues for fl exibility in their Work-Life Programmes. Work-Life Programmes such as Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs) and outcome-based performance management can be powerful tools to improve productivity in today s fast-paced business environment. HOW DOES A GOOD WORK-LIFE STRATEGY MAKE BUSINESS SENSE? When an organisation appreciates how a Work-Life Strategy can enable their employees to succeed in work and life, the higher engagement and increase in morale will lead to tangible business benefits. Measurable benefits include improved retention rates, increased employee productivity, higher levels of engagement and lower absenteeism or sick leave. Organisations with an effective Work-Life Strategy have experienced a greater retention of talent, an increased ability to attract talent and higher productivity.

5 4-STEP GUIDE TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A WORK-LIFE STRATEGY This model comprises four essential steps that an organisation should take to implement an effective and sustainable Work-Life Strategy. These four steps should be viewed as a continuous cycle of activities. To be effective, Work-Life Programmes should be reviewed periodically to remain robust and relevant to the changing needs of the business and employees. STEP 1 STEP 2 Establish your business case for implementing or modifying a Work-Life Strategy Identify your business requirements and employee needs STEP 4 STEP 3 Evaluate effectiveness of Work-Life Programmes Implement suitable Work-Life Programmes

6 UNDERSTANDING FLEXIBLE WORK ARRANGEMENTS (FWAs) Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs) offer your employees greater flexibility at work to better manage both their professional and personal commitments, while offering you a smart and effi cient way to achieve your business goals. Choosing the right FWAs for your company depends on a number of factors such as employee profi le, company size and the nature of your business. In a recent study on work-life integration*, the following FWAs were considered the most commonly used across various industries in Singapore. The most widely implemented ones include Flexi-Time/Staggered Work Hours, Part-time Work, Flexible Hours and Telecommuting. *Survey on Work-Life Integration and Flexible Work Arrangements, Straits Times & Employer Alliance, July 2014.

7 HERE ARE SOME OF THE BENEFITS THAT ORGANISATIONS HAVE GAINED FROM FWAs 1. Maximising talent Companies who can retain experienced and competent talent will have an edge and be able to build a talent pipeline. FWAs also provide companies with a competitive edge in recruitment. 2. Increased productivity Engaged employees will have more than an economic contract with their employers. They will be more involved, willing to go the extra mile and take ownership when they know that their well-being matters to their employer. 3. Cost savings With higher talent retention, companies save time and money spent on the recruitment and continuous training of new hires. There will also be a reduction in opportunity cost as new hires take time to build up their knowledge and experience. Mobile work, in particular, may result in savings in real estate.

8 Source: Ministry of Manpower (MOM)

9 FLEXI-TIME/STAGGERED WORK HOURS An arrangement in which employees can vary their daily start and end times to suit their work and personal commitments. There should be at least a 2-hour window, e.g. starting work between 8am and 10am and correspondingly leaving the offi ce between 5pm and 7pm, for the staggered start and end times. Typically, there is a core time, say 10am till 4pm, during which employees must work. There is usually an accounting period, typically a week or a month, within which the full number of hours is worked but where the employee has discretion about when those hours are worked. In some cases, excess of defi cit hours can be carried over to the next accounting period. BENEFITS TO EMPLOYERS Retain valued employees with other personal commitments Extend operating hours enabling better customer service or managing assignments across regions Match staff hours with workflow requirements BENEFITS TO EMPLOYEES Facilitate work and life outcomes Increase sense of job control and autonomy Reduce commuting time if travelling to work during off-peak hours

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11 PART-TIME WORK An arrangement in which employees work reduced hours on a regular basis normally fewer than 35 hours in a week. Some common practices for part-time work include hiring part-time employees during peak periods or when work needs to be done only at particular times. Increasingly, employers are offering women the opportunity to return to work on a part-time basis to allow them to see to childcare arrangements or allowing older employees to work on a part-time basis leading up to retirement. Part-time employees exclude temporary staff who work normal hours, workers who work on weekends only (or during peak periods), as well as employees on a compressed work week or fl exi-time schedule. Some examples of part-time arrangements are as follows: Working every day but with fewer hours Working normal hours but fewer days Alternate work periods such as one week on and one week off Working during weekends (to cover high-volume periods) Combination of the above schedules BENEFITS TO EMPLOYERS Tap on wider talent pool of back-to-work mums or older workers Retain valued employees with personal life changes Match staff hours with workflow requirements BENEFITS TO EMPLOYEES Facilitate work and life outcomes Phased retirement possible for mature workers Smoother workforce re-entry after a career break

12 Source: Ministry of Manpower (MOM)

13 FLEXIBLE HOURS An arrangement where employees are contracted to work a certain number of hours over an accounting period, e.g. a 20-hour workweek, and they can work at any time of the day, as long as they complete the stipulated hours within the workweek. This is more common in jobs where activities are not dependent on meeting colleagues/ clients at specifi c times of the day. BENEFITS TO EMPLOYERS Increase employee productivity Attract and retain valued employees Create culture of trust, self-management and accountability Develop a more performance-orientated organisation BENEFITS TO EMPLOYEES Facilitate work and life outcomes Optimise periods of productivity

14 Source: Ministry of Manpower (MOM)

15 TELECOMMUTING A flexi-place arrangement in which the job is performed at a location other than the workplace using information and communication technologies. It may be need-based on a situational or episodic basis, or core on a routine, regular and recurring basis. Some common locations in which telecommuters work include the employee s home, smart work centres, satellite offi ces, the client s office, as well as cafes and other suitable locations where employees might work while between meetings instead of going back to the office. BENEFITS TO EMPLOYERS Increase employee productivity Attract and retain valued employees Reduce disruption to work Reduce office rental costs Tap on segments of workforce for whom fl exibility is critical to their employment BENEFITS TO EMPLOYEES Facilitate work and life outcomes Eliminate commuting time Increase sense of job control and autonomy Maximise peak productivity periods

16 COMPRESSED WORK SCHEDULE An arrangement in which an employee works his/her full-time hours (e.g. 40 hours in a week) in fewer than the normal number of days per time period. When designing schedules for a Compressed Work Schedule, it is important to note that there are statutory guidelines governing the hours worked and periods of rest required for employees covered under the Employment Act. CREATIVE SCHEDULING This refers to a work schedule or roster which is a deviation from the industry norm and may be implemented in order to accommodate existing employees personal and family needs and/or to attract potential employees with life stage needs that do not fi t into the traditional work schedule or roster practised in that industry. INTERIM WORK An arrangement where an employee is hired on a part-time or full-time basis for a specifi c period of time, or to complete a specifi c project. Interim workers cut across all levels from senior management to rank-and-file employees. Seasonal Work and Project-Based Work are some examples of Interim Work.

17 JOB SHARING An arrangement that allows two or more people to share the responsibilities of one full-time position, with each of them working part-time. They usually work at different times during the day/week or alternate weeks, and may have a time of overlap to maintain continuity. The work may be divided by function, geography, time or workload. PHASING IN OR OUT An arrangement in which employees who are joining or leaving an organisation move from a part-time position into a full-time position or vice versa. In some cases, employees are given the fl exibility to determine how many hours and when they work to ease their transition into/out of a full-time position. TIME BANK An arrangement in which the employer and employee agree on a fixed number of hours over a specified time period (weekly, monthly, quarterly), e.g. 24 hours a week. Additional hours are accumulated in a time bank and taken as time-off in-lieu. This arrangement may only be used for employees not covered under the Employment Act. Information on more FWAs can be found at

18 An effective Work-Life Strategy will allow your employees to exercise control and choice in meeting life s challenges, and manage work responsibilities alongside personal and family needs.

19 Managing talent is an art, so continue experimenting with a whole palette of work-life options and create an enabling work environment for your employees. Companies that offer Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs) gain access to talent who may otherwise not be available. While this handbook has listed the key FWAs commonly practised, it is also up to the employers to innovate and create more flexibility at the workplace.

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