THE National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) on Wednesday (Sep 20) called for flexible work arrangements and more assistance, including statutory paid caregiving leave, in their recommendations for support for workers caring for elderly family members.

Employers should ensure that work arrangements are flexible enough to cater to the needs of different caregivers and their loved ones, redesign jobs to split up tasks and allow some remote work; they should also disclose their flexible work arrangement details in job advertisements to help jobseekers filter them based on their needs, NTUC said.

NTUC’s secretary-general Ng Chee Meng told reporters on the sidelines of a caregiver event that pushing and scaling flexible work arrangements would be a “win-win” situation.

Employers get to retain key, experienced staff in a very labour-short Singapore and, at the same time, workers can have a livelihood and space for fulfilling their filial responsibilities, he said.

Sim Gim Guan, executive director of the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF), noted that many employers have already implemented flexible work arrangements. But he added: “Striking a balance between addressing work-life needs, career aspirations of the individual and business needs of the employer is crucial.”

Association of Small & Medium Enterprises deputy president Ang Yuit said that implementation of flexible work arrangements must find a “stabilisation point”: “Too flexible, companies may find it better to outsource (overseas). Too rigid, the local workforce doesn’t want to work.”

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NTUC also sought more support in the form of leave, employee support schemes and making care services more accessible and affordable.

It urged the government to ensure that all workers are provided with a baseline of statutory paid caregiving leave. This would help them care for elderly family members and tend to unexpected care needs in the long run.

The definition of family members should include those related by blood, marriage or adoption, and provisions should cover chronic illnesses and both physical and mental conditions, it added.

While statutory leave for caregiving does not currently exist, more employers are recognising its necessity: 30 per cent of employers offered paid family care leave in 2022, double the 15 per cent recorded in 2012, NTUC said.

While supportive of these measures, Leonard Lim, founder and chief executive officer of remote-sensing technology company Omnisense Systems, cautioned that the burden of implementation cannot fall on employers alone.

“Most SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) lack the scale to flexibly redeploy employees to cover workplace operational requirements as efficiently as larger companies,” he said. “My concern is that a blanket statutory paid-leave enhancement will apply uneven financial and operational burdens on SMEs, especially if not accompanied by supportive policies or resources.”

Ang similarly warned that this may add to businesses’ already-high manpower costs. As an employer, he would not mind bearing the inconvenience of staff taking some time away if the salary is claimable, similar to the case of national servicemen away for reservist duties, he said.

“It is not ideal, but we all understand the need to balance the needs of the company with the needs of family ties and family duties.”

Besides paid leave, NTUC also recommended unpaid leave for unexpected care needs, which are currently covered under tripartite standards introduced in 2018, “by extending greater flexibility in work arrangements and in providing time off (including unpaid leave) when needed”.

The existing tripartite standards encourage employers to voluntarily offer up to two weeks of unpaid leave per year to care for family members during or after hospitalisation.

NTUC also urged employers to review their policies to provide more support in forms such as extended medical and insurance coverage to include workers and their elderly family members.

“Such measures may help employers to retain workers, while helping workers to manage work and caregiving responsibilities,” it said.

Finally, NTUC advocated for continued work to improve accessibility and affordability of care services. The government and other stakeholders have already been working on this to alleviate caregivers’ financial and other burdens, but anxieties remain, it said.

In response to the proposals, the Ministry of Manpower said the government will take NTUC’s feedback into consideration.

“We will continue to encourage and equip businesses to adopt tripartite standards that set out best practices in fostering a more supportive and inclusive workplace,” it said.

“It is important that any enhancements to support for working caregivers be sustainable, taking into account business needs and constraints amid inflationary environments, as well as other cost structures due to geopolitical uncertainties and potential supply chain disruptions.”

In NTUC’s survey of about 1,000 respondents, caregivers said that flexible work arrangements, paid leave for caregiving and financial support were the most-needed forms of help that would help them to juggle their responsibilities.

The survey also found that for respondents who were employed, the time away from work, work performance and welfare, and their job prospects were affected as a result of their caregiving responsibilities.