Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests (TG-FWAR) will come into effect on 1 December 2024

The Government of Singapore has approved recommendations of the Tripartite Working Group on Flexible Work Arrangement (FWA) Requests. These Guidelines replace the Tripartite Advisory on Flexible Work Arrangements issued in 2014 and the Tripartite Standard on Flexible Work Arrangements launched in 2017.

The Guidelines aim to standardize how employees can request FWAs and how employers and supervisors should handle such requests. The Guidelines are meant to promote appropriate norms and expectations around FWAs, and to ensure a structured and fair approach to their implementation in the workplace.

Under the Guidelines, FWAs are work arrangements where employers and employees agree to a variation from the standard work arrangement. FWAs may fall into the broad categories of:

flexi-place arrangements where employees work flexibly from different locations aside from their usual office location (e.g. telecommuting, work-from-home);
flexi-time arrangements where employees work flexibly at different timings with no changes to total work hours and workload (e.g. flexi-hours, staggered hours, flexi-shift, compressed work schedule); or
flexi-load arrangements where employees work flexibly with different workloads and with commensurate remuneration (e.g. job sharing, part-time work).

The Guidelines include requirements and procedures for formal FWA requests, and stipulate how employers should properly consider and evaluate FWA requests, how and when the decision should be communicated to the employee, and what alternatives the employer should explore when rejecting FWA requests.

Employers will be expected to comply with these Guidelines once they are in force, and the public sector will be expected to lead by example in adopting these practices. The Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will refer to these guidelines in promoting the adoption of FWAs, and in handling cases involving FWAs. The Guidelines will take effect on 1 December 2024.

The development of these Guidelines has been realized by consultations with a wide range of stakeholders, including workers, employers, and human resource professionals, which have highlighted the need for good communication and trust to make FWAs work effectively. There will also be support mechanisms, such as the TAFEP or employees’ respective unions, to which workers can turn if their FWA requests are not handled in accordance with the Guidelines. This comprehensive framework seeks to balance the needs of employees with the operational capabilities of employers, with the goal of improving work-life balance and inclusiveness in the workplace.