KUALA LUMPUR: The government is looking at options to incentivise employers in an effort to encourage flexible working hours, Human Resources Minister Steven Sim said.
The ministry through its agencies, Talent Corporation Malaysia Bhd and Social Security Organisation, will provide advisory services to employers on measures needed for the implementation of flexibile working arrangement, he added.
"What we are trying to do at this stage is we want to use encouragement or incentivise. We are looking at ways on how to provide advisory services as well as tax incentives to enable employers to adopt flexible working arrangement," Sim told reporters after the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia Power Chat 3.0 here today.
In his recent post on X, Sim said workers in Malaysia can apply for flexible working arrangements based on time, days, and location of work according to Sections 60P and 60Q of the Employment Act 1955.
The requests should be submitted to employers for feedback within 60 days. If rejected, employers must provide reasons.
Sim added that both parties should negotiate and tolerate the situation that allowed for flexible arrangement.
"The flexible working arrangement is among the measures that allow employees to have a better working environment. At the same time, employees also need to understand the nature of business because not all businesses can afford such flexibility.
"The framework stipulated under sections 60P and 60Q is a start whereby we can provide a more detailed process for the flexible working application," said Sim.
According to Section 60P (1) of the act, an employee has the right to request from his or her employer for a flexible working arrangement to vary the hours of work, days of work or place of work in relation to his employment, subject to Part XII or anything contained in the contract of service.
The act also stated that application for flexible working arrangement under 60Q (1), the employee shall make an application for flexible working arrangement under section 60P in writing and in the form and manner as may be determined by the Director-General of Labour.
Sim's post on X came as a response to a post by a portal regarding workers in Singapore now being able to apply to work four days a week, more working days from home, and phased working hours starting from Dec 1.
