To qualify for the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) Work-Life Grant, firms will now only need to have staff on flexi-work arrangement for a month, down from the previous six months.
This flexi-work arrangement comprise of staggered work hours and telecommuting, it added.
With this grant, each firm can get S$2,000 for every local worker on flexi-work, capped at up to 35 employees.
It does not cover company officers listed in the Accounting Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA), such as owners, shareholders and directors.
Firms can start applying under the new parameters starting from April 20, with the lower requirements applying after the “circuit breaker” period ends on May 4.
According to Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Manpower Low Yen Ling, the Work-Life Grant can be used to buy laptops, software and related equipment for telecommuting.
In the immediate term, adopting (flexi-work arrangements) will help companies overcome the present challenges posed by Covid-19,” she said during the debate on the supplementary budget.
In the long run, (flexi-work arrangements) will help companies ride the wave of changing workplace norms, become a more inclusive, caring and also attractive employer and, thereby, attracting better talent.
– Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Manpower, Low Yen Ling
She added that the ministry has improved support for redeployment programmes under the Adapt and Grow initiative to help companies position themselves for the eventual recovery.
More than 100 firms have already applied for new redeployment programmes for the tourism, aviation, retail and food services sectors. This is expected to benefit more than 2,600 workers, she said.
Featured Image Credit: Nikkei Asian Review
