Home-based work enables more Singaporeans to join the workforce

By SMBWorld Asia Editors | Aug 25, 2011

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Employers facing manpower shortages could consider implementing home-based work arrangements, to tap the pool of economically inactive workers in Singapore who prefer to work from home, Mr Hawazi Daipi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Manpower and Education said today.   

Hawazi was gracing the Work-Life Conference 2011 organised by the Tripartite Committee on Work-Life Strategy. He added that home-based work arrangements are now possible due to Singapore’s well-developed Infocomm Technology (ICT) infrastructure.  

Home-based work is a relatively new concept in Singapore, noted Mr Hawazi, but savvy businesses were increasingly adopting the practice together with other flexible work arrangements as a means of attracting and keeping talents and value employees. He added that employers could benefit from costs savings, improved productivity as well as having access to employees who may not be able to work away from home due to family responsibilities.  

More companies are incorporating flexible work arrangements, including home-based work, into their HR policies. In a recent MOM survey1, 35% of employers offered at least one form of flexible work arrangement, up from 25% in 2007.  This reflects an increased awareness that progressive and flexible HR practices are an important factor for both employers and employees. 

Hawazi also launched a guide book at the Conference called ‘Work@Home’, aimed at providing employers with information on home-based work as well as practical tips to implement such arrangements. The guide book was developed in response to recommendations of the Tripartite Workgroup on ICT-enabled Home-based Jobs, which was set up last year to study home-based work.  To identify challenges and explore solutions to implementing home-based work in Singapore, the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) will also be conducting pilots on home-based work with industry partners.

The Conference’s Keynote Speaker, Dr Brad Harrington, the Executive Director of Boston College Center for Work & Family, shared how flexible work practices can help organisations achieve their business goals, significantly improve business performance and employee engagement as well as offer flexible job and advancement opportunities for women.  IBM Singapore and Maybank, both Work-Life Excellence Award winners, also shared best practices on effective implementation of work-life strategies.