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As more employers set boundaries around after-hours communication, Singapore’s Public Service Division is encouraging workplace norms that aim to provide officers with more space to disconnect and manage their personal commitments.
More employees in Singapore are working in workplaces with policies governing after-hours communication, according to new data from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
The data, shared in Parliament on 5 August in response to questions on after-hours work expectations, digital connectivity and workplace policies, showed that 55% of full-time resident employees worked for employers who had such policies in 2025, up from 48% in 2022.
The policies include practices such as not expecting employees to respond to non-urgent messages until the next working day, as well as providing time-off-in-lieu for work carried out after hours.
However, the ministry has not conducted a separate assessment of the effectiveness of individual policies.
Public Service encourages clearer boundaries
Within the Public Service Division (PSD), agencies are being encouraged to set clearer expectations around when officers are expected to remain connected to work.
In a written parliamentary reply, Coordinating Minister for Public Services and Minister-in-charge of the Public Service Chan Chun Sing said good workplace practices include making it clear that officers do not need to respond to work emails or messages after office hours unless a matter is urgent.
Where operational needs require officers to work or respond outside working hours, supervisors are expected to exercise judgement, prioritise work appropriately and minimise disruption to officers’ non-work time.
One example Minister Chan shared was the use of email banners, stating that recipients are not expected to respond outside working hours unless indicated.
He added that the Public Service tracks officers’ workplace experiences through employee feedback channels and surveys, with agencies regularly reviewing their practices in response to the feedback received.
The approach reflects a broader focus on creating workplace norms that allow public officers to manage their work alongside their personal commitments, Minister Chan said.
Work-life harmony remains a broader focus
The push for clearer boundaries comes against a wider focus on work-life harmony, with MOM highlighting its relevance not only to employees’ wellbeing but also to family aspirations and fertility intentions.
MOM said these outcomes are shaped by a range of personal, societal and economic factors, but supporting work-life harmony can help create an environment conducive to them.
The ministry will continue working with tripartite partners to encourage workplace practices that support work-life harmony, including through the Tripartite Standard on Work-Life Harmony and the Tripartite Advisory on Mental Health and Wellbeing at Workplaces.
A Marriage and Parenthood Reset Workgroup has also been set up to develop a whole-of-society approach to better support Singaporeans in their marriage and parenthood journeys.
Public Service prepares for changing workforce needs
The focus on workplace practices is further reinforced with broader efforts to prepare the Public Service for changing workforce needs as technology and operating models evolve.
In separate parliamentary reply on 4 August, Minister Chan said the Public Service said the Public Service does not use a fixed set of indicators to determine when an agency needs significant workforce transformation.
Instead, agencies are expected to consider their operating contexts, technological changes and shifts in service delivery, and assess how their workforce size, shape and skill profiles may need to evolve.
As roles evolve, the priority is to reskill and redeploy affected officers within the Public Service where possible, Minister Chan noted. For officers who cannot be retrained or redeployed, support will be provided to help them transition into roles outside the Public Service, including financial support and employment assistance where appropriate.
The Public Service is also investing in officers’ “career fitness” through courses, job rotations and short-term work attachments, alongside personalised career guidance and coaching through the Public Service Career Coaches Network.
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