Since 1 December 2024 employers must properly consider formal flexible work arrangement requests and respond in writing within the stated period. The obligation is to consider properly and to give a reason — not to agree. Employers who refuse without a business ground, or simply do not reply, are the ones who attract attention.
Flexible Work Arrangement Requests
Policy, request form and response
Since 1 December 2024 employers must properly consider formal flexible work arrangement requests and respond in writing within the stated period. The obligation is to consider properly and to give a reason — not to agree. Employers who refuse without a business ground, or simply do not reply, are the ones who attract attention.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Policy owner | [DESIGNATION] |
| Effective from | [DATE] |
| Applies to | All employees who have completed probation |
| Response deadline | Within two months of receiving a formal request |
| Review | Annually |
| Available at | [LOCATION OR LINK] |
1. Purpose
1.1The Company recognises that flexible work arrangements help employees manage caregiving, health, study and other commitments, and help the Company attract and retain people.
1.2This policy sets out how to request a flexible work arrangement, how the Company will consider it, and how it will respond.
1.3This policy reflects the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests. It does not give an entitlement to a flexible work arrangement; it gives a right to have a request properly considered and answered.
2. What Counts as a Flexible Work Arrangement
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Flexi-place | Working from home or another location, in whole or in part; hybrid arrangements |
| Flexi-time | Staggered start and end times; flexible hours within a core period; compressed work week; time off in lieu |
| Flexi-load | Part-time work; job sharing; reduced responsibilities with a corresponding change in pay |
2.1An arrangement may combine categories, and may be permanent, for a fixed period, or on a trial basis.
2.2Informal or occasional flexibility — leaving early for an appointment, working from home for a day — is agreed with your manager and does not require a formal request.
3. Making a Request
3.1A formal request should be made in writing using the form in Annexure A, and should state the arrangement sought, the date it should start, whether it is permanent or for a period, and how the employee proposes the work will be managed.
3.2An employee is not required to give a reason for the request. Where a reason is given, it will be treated in confidence.
3.3Requests should be submitted to the employee’s manager, with a copy to [NAME].
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The Tripartite Guidelines require employers to have a process, to consider formal requests properly, and to respond in writing within two months with the business ground for any refusal. There is no entitlement to a flexible arrangement. Employers who read the guidelines as compulsory flexibility over-comply; those who ignore requests entirely are the ones who create a problem.
Responding on day fifty-nine technically complies but signals that the request was parked. Most requests can be discussed and decided within a fortnight. The register in Annexure C tracks response time for that reason.
A refusal must rest on a business reason and it must be communicated. "Not company policy", "we need everyone in the office", or an unexplained no are the responses most likely to generate a grievance. Version C requires the ground to be stated specifically — if it cannot be stated specifically, it may not be a business ground at all.
Clause 4.2 requires a conversation. Many requests that cannot be agreed as made can be met in a modified form, and the employee is usually best placed to suggest how coverage would work. Deciding on paper without speaking to the employee produces worse outcomes and more disputes.
Where the concern is whether an arrangement will work rather than whether it is possible in principle, a trial with a stated review basis resolves it without either side committing. Clause 5.1 requires the assessment basis to be stated at the outset, so the review is not a re-argument.
The guidelines do not require an employee to justify a request, and requiring a reason invites the employer to weigh some reasons above others — which is where discrimination risk enters. Clause 3.2 makes the reason optional. Where one is given, keep it confidential.
The most common way this policy fails is not refusal but quiet disadvantage: employees on flexible arrangements getting fewer stretch assignments, less visibility and slower promotion. Clause 6.3 addresses it expressly. Monitor progression outcomes for employees on flexible arrangements alongside the request register.
A genuine reduction in hours or responsibilities may carry a proportionate reduction in salary and a pro-rated leave entitlement. State the basis of pro-ration in the response letter. What is not acceptable is reducing pay for flexi-time or flexi-place arrangements where the workload is unchanged.
The register evidences that requests were considered and answered on time, and it surfaces patterns — for example, requests from one team consistently refused, or from one group of employees. Where a complaint arises, the register is the first thing that will help or hurt.
Caregiving responsibilities, pregnancy, disability and mental health conditions are protected characteristics under the Workplace Fairness Act, expected to commence at the end of 2027. Refusing flexibility in a way that disadvantages employees with those characteristics, without a genuine business ground, will be actionable. Aligning practice now is easier than retrofitting later.
Clause 5.2 permits the Company to end an arrangement on notice where business circumstances change, with the reason in writing. Withdrawing an arrangement abruptly, or without explanation, is likely to be treated as a change of terms and handled as a grievance.
This policy is applied by line managers, not by the human resources function. A manager who refuses informally, before a formal request is made, defeats the process without leaving a record. Brief managers that any request should be routed formally and answered in writing.
Reflects Singapore tripartite guidance current as of {{DATE OF USE}}. The Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests took effect on 1 December 2024 and may be revised — confirm the current version, and note that the Workplace Fairness Act will affect how refusals are assessed once it commences.
This is a ready-to-use template provided for convenience. Laws and requirements change, and every situation is different — please have it reviewed by a qualified professional (a lawyer, corporate secretary, or accountant as relevant) before you rely on it.