Flexible Work Arrangement (FWA) Software

Piyush Sharma

Aug 13

FWA guide for Employers in Singapore

On 16 April 2024, the Ministry of Manpower (“MOM”) announced that the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests (“Guidelines”) will come into effect on 1 December 2024. The mandatory Guidelines set the minimum requirements that all employers are required to abide by and recommend other good practices for employers to consider in relation to formal requests for flexible work arrangements (“FWAs”). The Guidelines aim to shape the right norms and expectations around FWAs by setting out how employees should request for FWAs and use them, and how employers and supervisors should handle FWA requests.

The Guidelines replace the Tripartite Advisory on Flexible Work Arrangements issued in 2014 and the Tripartite Standard on Flexible Work Arrangements launched in 2017.

Automate Your FWA Process with Our Solution

Our FWA module automates the request process, keeping things easy, trackable and streamlined for your company:

Applicant submits the FWA request on Carbonate by visiting FWA Request Page.
Approver receives notification of FWA request, and can approve or decline request from Carbonate. Applicant will get notified of the action taken by Approver.
Both Applicant and Approver can track status, and access their FWA history on Carbonate.

Requirement for formal FWA request

The Guidelines state that existing formal and non-formal practices should continue if they work well for both employees and employers. However, should the employer’s existing process for requesting FWAs be absent or lacking, an employee may choose to put in a formal FWA request based on the Guidelines.

Submitting formal FWA requests

All employees who have completed probation (duration as determined by their employer) can make a formal request for FWAs under the Guidelines.
Employers should have a process for employees to submit formal FWA requests, such as submissions via a work portal or an email to a supervisor.

If the employer does not have stipulated requirements or a process for an employee to make a formal FWA request, the employee could make a formal FWA request in writing. The request should include:

The date of the request.
The FWA requested for, including its expected frequency and duration.
The reason for the request.
The requested start date and end date (if relevant).

If the employee’s request does not meet the above requirements, it is not a formal request and is not covered under the Guidelines.