Public service in Singapore embraces flexi-work

The Minister-in-charge of the Public Service, Chan Chun Sing, had recently said in a parliamentary reply that about half of the jobs in the public service are suitable for telecommuting arrangements.

Chan said: “With the recent… announcement that 100% of employees can return to the workplace from April 26, the public service has taken the lead and transited to a new working arrangement. 

“For officers whose work allows for telecommuting, officers can do so for an average of two out of five days per work week. Public service agencies can decide how best to implement this, in line with their operational considerations.” 

He added that other than telecommuting, the public service also allows staff to stagger their work hours, such as starting work earlier or later than the usual start time. 

“Such flexibility would be useful for those with caregiving duties at home. Staggered work hours, if implemented more widely, can also help to reduce peak-hour traffic congestion and time spent travelling to and from work,” he said.

Chan added that the Public Service Division also issued guidelines to reinforce the expectations of work standards and to promote good supervisory practices. 

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“Telecommuting has helped to enhance productivity, such as by removing the need for officers to travel for meetings, and can support those with caregiving responsibilities to achieve a better balance between work and their caregiving duties,” he said, according to The Straits Times.

Agencies such as the Government Technology Agency (GovTech) and are already allowing employees to work from home up to three times a week. They can also enjoy exercise breaks during office hours, as long as they make up the time during the same day.