The Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), and the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) announced plans to form a new Tripartite Jobs Council (TJC) to help workers and businesses navigate the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on jobs and workforce transformation.
The 2024 report evaluates employee needs for Work-Life Harmony (WLH) programs, specifically Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs), Employee Support Schemes (ESS), and leave benefits, and identifies how organizations can better manage work-life commitments to improve retention and performance.
Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs)
FWAs are now the most influential factor in job choice, surpassing leave benefits and ESS. They are recognized as a core organizational strategy to optimize performance rather than a discretionary perk.
Access remains high, with 84.5% of employees provided with at least one required scheduled FWA. Utilization among those provided is 96.2%, indicating normalized adoption and reduced stigma.
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Employees favor flexibility in time and location over work-reduction arrangements. Scheduled tele-working (32.3%), flexible hours (23.2%), and choice of days off (21.2%) remain the most demanded types.
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The high demand for flexible work arrangements, specifically tele-working, flexible hours, and choice of days off, is largely driven by a workforce composed of PMETs, for whom these options are both highly suitable and increasingly accessible, with provision rates reaching approximately 70%.
This alignment between employee needs and employer support is most pronounced in growth sectors like Information & Communications, Professional Services, and Financial & Insurance Services, where robust FWA offerings serve as a critical strategic lever for attracting and retaining top talent.
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FWAs are most critical for the 25–34 age group. Regression analysis highlights that tertiary-educated employees, females, and specific roles (PMETs, Clerical) view FWAs as primary retention drivers.
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Data confirms that FWAs are a critical retention driver, particularly for tertiary-educated employees, women, and professionals.
To remain competitive, organizations should prioritize expanding these offerings to attract and retain key talent.
While approval rates are high (94%), a significant gap remains between those who need FWAs and those who request them, likely due to procedural or cultural hurdles.
The new Tripartite Guidelines on FWA Requests (TG-FWAR) are designed to bridge this gap by standardizing processes and normalizing flexible work.
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Employee Support Scheme
ESS, covering mental and physical well-being, family support, and personal development, are now central to the Tripartite Standard on Work-Life Harmony.
Organizational commitment is rising, with 91.6% of employees now provided with at least one required ESS (up from 89.0% in 2023).
This trend underscores a shift toward prioritizing holistic employee welfare and stress management to improve overall work-life harmony.
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Physical health programs (84.7%), family support (79.8%), and mental well-being initiatives (77.2%) remain the most prevalent ESS offerings.
Notably, the provision of mental health-related support has seen a steady increase from 59.1% in 2022 to 77.2% in 2024, reflecting a growing organizational focus on psychological well-being.
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Demand for mental well-being support is highest among employees aged 25–34, with a 78.4% provision rate in 2024.
Crucially, these programs yield measurable results: employees who receive mental health support report burnout at less than one-third the rate of those who do not, validating the direct link between such ESS and workforce resilience
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Demand for mental health support is highest in Health & Social Services, Professional Services, Information & Communications, and Financial & Insurance Services.
However, current provision in these sectors remains insufficient.
Employees without access to needed mental health support report stress levels more than double those of their supported peers, making these programs a vital strategic differentiator for talent attraction and retention in high-stress industries.
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Leave Benefit
NSLs, such as additional paid care or sick leave, remain a key discretionary tool for boosting welfare and talent attraction.
While 86.0% of employees were provided with at least one required NSL in 2024, there has been a gradual decline in provision since 2018.
This shift reflects a strategic rebalancing, with organizations increasingly favoring ongoing Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs) and annual leave over discrete leave blocks to meet employees’ personal and caregiving needs.
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Administrative clarity has improved significantly, with the percentage of employees unsure how to apply for NSLs dropping sharply from 28.9% (2023) to 5.4% (2024).
While overall provision remains high (94.6%), demand for NSLs has declined (from 82.2% in 2018 to 71.1% in 2024) as employees increasingly prioritize FWAs and ESS as preferred alternatives.
Notably, despite a dip in the provision of paid family care leave, utilization rates have surged to 93.4%.
This indicates a shift toward a more family-friendly culture where those who need leave, and the support systems behind them, are utilizing these benefits with greater confidence and less stigma.
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Growth sectors maintain high NSL provision, with 8 in 10 employees receiving requested benefits. Conversely, domestic-oriented sectors, particularly Accommodation and Food Services. have seen a marked decline in provision (dropping from 82.5% in 2023 to 69.5% in 2024), likely due to increased cost pressures.
This disparity highlights how discretionary leave benefits are often the first to be adjusted in industries facing tighter margins.
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Nearly all (99.9%) employees had at least 7 days of AL in 2024, in line with the Employment Act15 and comparable to the proportion in 2023 (99.6%).
Annual leave entitlements differ notably by role, with non-PMETs averaging 15.1 days compared to 19.1 days for PMETs.
This disparity is largely driven by the operational requirements of customer-facing sectors like Retail Trade, where extended hours are common.
Consequently, non-PMETs in these industries typically receive between 7 and 14 days of annual leave, with a smaller proportion receiving more than 21 days compared to their PMET counterparts.
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What this means for your company:
- Make Flexibility a Standard: Treat FWAs (like tele-working) as a core retention strategy rather than a perk. Use the new Tripartite Guidelines (TG-FWAR) to standardize requests and close the gap between employee need and usage.
- Invest in Holistic Wellness: Prioritize mental health, physical fitness, and family support. Programs like these directly reduce burnout and improve team resilience—especially for high-demand, high-stress roles.
- Focus on Culture Over More Leave: Shift your strategy toward ongoing flexible work arrangements. Employees now prefer this “flexibility-first” approach over traditional, discrete leave days.
- Close the Awareness Gap: Ensure your employees understand how to access and use existing benefits. Transparent processes reduce stigma and drive higher, more effective utilization.
- Balance Costs with Retention: When facing budget constraints, focus on culture-based flexibility rather than cutting benefits. Be mindful of the flexibility gap between PMETs and non-PMETs, and seek creative ways to support your customer-facing teams.
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