They noted extensive evidence elsewhere that flexible workers are generally as (if not more) productive, more loyal, more committed to their jobs and happier with their working conditions, leading to fewer problems with sickness, absenteeism and retention.
The Singapore-based study made two other notable findings.
First, the stigma was more pronounced for fathers and childless people than for mothers.
This is because the managers rated fathers who work full-time in the office the most highly to begin with, and held negative views towards mothers regardless of where they did their work.
“The ‘larger drop’ for fathers is partly because they are traditionally held to the ‘ideal worker’ norm – the expectation of total availability,” Dr Wang, an assistant professor of sociology and anthropology, told CNA.
“When fathers request flexibility, they violate this gendered expectation more sharply than mothers do.”
Second, the stigma is stronger when the national context frames remote work as a policy targeted at mothers or parents, and not as a policy for all workers.
Dr Wang said the framing of a remote work policy is often more consequential to how it is perceived than its actual coverage.
“Even if a policy is technically universal, framing it around ‘mothers and parents’ signals to managers and colleagues that remote work is a ‘special favour’ or a deviation from professional commitment for caregiving reasons,” he said.
“This reinforces the stigma that remote workers are less devoted to their careers, regardless of who is actually eligible to apply.”
IS IT A NEED OR A WANT?
Despite worries of stigma and the possibility of job loss, there is still strong demand for flexible work arrangements.
In a 2024 MOM survey, 65.4 per cent of workers said the availability of flexible work arrangements was an important factor in choosing whether to take up a particular job. This was second only to remuneration, chosen by 80.3 per cent.
Flexibility mattered to more people than leave benefits, job stability, professional development opportunities, promising career prospects, meaningful work experience and other options in that survey.
And according to recent MOM data on workers who voluntarily took jobs for which they are “overqualified”, about 15 per cent cited the suitable work hours and about 14 per cent cited the flexible work schedule as reasons.
IHRP’s Mr Sardar said the question of whether an employee’s request for flexibility is a “need” or a “want” is best addressed through open dialogue and clarity about the impact of the arrangement.
“In many cases, what initially appears to be a ‘want’ may, when better understood, relate to employee well-being, retention, or sustained performance,” he said.
“The intent is not to default to a binary outcome, but to explore practical solutions where possible.”
How employers should assess flexible work requests
IHRP encourages organisations to adopt a tiered approach when assessing requests.
“Approve where the role supports flexibility, there is no material business disruption, and any performance risks are manageable,” said Mr Sardar.
“Modify where partial flexibility is feasible, or where identified risks can be mitigated through adjustments.
“Reject where there is clear, evidence-based business harm, and no reasonable alternative arrangement exists.”
Reasonable business grounds for rejection should be based on demonstrable impact on productivity, service delivery, cost or team effectiveness, he added. This ensures decisions are objective and defensible.
“At the core, it is about balancing business needs with managing employee expectations, recognising that flexible work arrangements are not universally applicable across all roles,” said Mr Sardar.
Collapse Expand One example is the invisible needs that arise among cancer survivors reintegrating into the workforce.
Cancer patients and survivors may need flexible work arrangements to manage their recovery, medical appointments and energy levels, said Mr Mark Lin, head of psychosocial services overseeing the return-to-work programme at the Singapore Cancer Society.
“A colleague may look well but be privately managing side effects like brain fog, fatigue, or still have to go for follow-up treatments,” he said.
“When colleagues don’t understand this and expect the survivor to be back to normal, this can create a gap between expectations and realities.”
More broadly, he said the ability to manage workforce health variability – and the flexibility that requires – is becoming a core organisational capability, not merely a “nice-to-have”.
“As Singapore faces an ageing population with rising rates of chronic diseases – including cancer – organisations will need to manage employees with fluctuating capacity, invisible symptoms, and changing stamina,” he said.
“Those that manage health variability well will enjoy better productivity, reduced attrition and increased psychological safety among their workforces.”
NORMS ARE CHANGING
Replying to CNA’s queries, the TAFEP spokesperson said the tripartite guidelines shape norms and expectations around flexible work requests.
To this end, some workers told CNA that the changed rules have already helped to improve acceptance.
Ms Sher-Li Torrey, a longtime advocate for working mothers, has noticed that employers seem more open to conferring flexibility to existing employees and roles after the guidelines came into effect.
