Scheme to help women with flexi-work to be extended and enchanced
Employers will find it easier to get financial help for trying out flexible work arrangements from July this year, as part of a government bid to better help women achieve both career and family aspirations.
A scheme that funds companies so that they can help groups such as mothers get back to work will be enhanced and extended beyond its expiry date this month, said Second Minister for Manpower Josephine Teo yesterday.
"Women should not have to choose between full-time work and zero-time.
"To help companies provide more working options in between, I am happy to announce that we will extend and enhance the Work-Life Grant, which is due to expire in March," she said at an International Women's Day event organised by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The WorkPro Work-Life Grant was rolled out in 2013, and has since been tapped by more than 1,500 companies that collectively employ more than 100,000 employees.
Funding from the $30 million enhanced grant, which will span two years, can be used for expenses such as creating infrastructure for a virtual private network so that employees can work from home, among other things.
Three changes will be made to the grant scheme after feedback was taken from firms, Mrs Teo said. These are:
- Requiring each company to have just one employee, instead of 20 per cent of all employees, to be on flexible work arrangements to qualify for grant.
- Funding employers $2,000 per employee over two years, up to 35 employees.
- To make job sharing a more attractive option, the enhanced Work-Life Grant will provide a higher incentive of $3,500 per employee, instead of the current $2,000.
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