Employers’ association raised concerns regarding labour suggestions from PAP Women’s Wing

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CONCERNED FACE

The Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) has released a statement regarding the Position Paper on women at work, submitted to the Ministry of Manpower by the PAP Women’s Wing today.

While it supported many of the proposals, including schemes to help women return to the workforce after taking a break from work, it also raised concerns about extending the legislated one-week shared parental leave, and legislating flexi-work for employees.

The full text of their statement is as follows:

“The Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) welcomes and indeed supports many of the wide ranging and specific proposals to help employers tap into the women talent pool and to encourage more employers to build family friendly workplaces. SNEF agrees that employers play a key role in helping their employees to reconcile work, parenthood and family life. Family friendly workplaces attract talent, reduce staff absenteeism and turnover as well as increase staff commitment and productivity.

“In particular, SNEF supports:

a. Guidelines on pro-family employment practices and a carrot approach to encourage employers to adopt them.

b. Incentives such as the Back to Work employment Credit Scheme for employers to help re-integrate women returning to work after a long break.

c. Employment facilitation and training to help women to return to the workforce

d. Targeted assistance for SMEs.

“SNEF has reservations on two specific proposals:

a. Extending the One-Week Shared Parental Leave which will be legislated from 1 May 2013

In some sectors, companies operate in a regulated industry where operations are manned mainly by teams of licensed and highly specialized skilled workers. The lack and loss of manpower availability among their male workers will create operational challenges. For some companies, employees on shift arrangements have only about 180-200 working days. Long term manpower planning and adjustments will be needed to address these issues. We should see how the new one week of shared parental leave works out first, for both employees and employers.

“b. Legislating Flexi-Work

Legislating a right for employees to request for flexi-work to take care of their children will create unnecessary friction and stress at the workplace, not only between employers and employees but also among employees. Not every job can be done on flexi-hours and few companies can guarantee a job 12 months later. It would be better to focus on helping employers to implement flexi-work and mothers to secure suitable jobs when they re-enter the workforce.

“Said Mr Koh Juan Kiat, the Executive Director of SNEF, “We support measures to promote, encourage and incentivise family friendly practices among companies to enhance job opportunities for women. However, there must be some flexibility for companies to align such practices with their business and human resource.”