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Employees can still request flexible work arrangements if in-office work is the default, MOM clarifies

Employees can still request flexible work arrangements if in-office work is the default, MOM clarifies

Those who feel their FWA requests are not properly considered have been urged to approach the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) for assistance.

Member of Parliament Nadia Ahmad Samdin recently raised a query on how employees in Singapore whose organisations enforce work-in-office arrangements are safeguarded under fair and progressive employment practices, particularly in relation to flexible eork srrangements (FWAs).

In its written reply, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) clarified that FWAs include flexi-place, flexi-time, and flexi-load arrangements, reiterating that under the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests (TG-FWAR) implemented in December 2024, employees may formally submit requests for FWAs, and employers are expected to consider these requests based on business needs. This applies even to employees in firms where the default work arrangement is fully on-site.

The ministry added that employees who feel their FWA requests are not properly considered can approach the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) for assistance. TAFEP will assess the case and guide the employer to comply with TG-FWAR if the request has not been properly evaluated.


ALSO READ: Legal and policy changes to look out for across Singapore and Malaysia in 2026

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