Work-from-home and job security: MPs share their thoughts on how workers, families and businesses can move forward after COVID-19

SINGAPORE: On the second day of discussions on Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat’s roadmap for Singapore’s post-COVID-19 economy, 19 members of Parliament took the floor to raise concerns about job security and how Singapore could change afterwards of the pandemic.

Here is what some members of the House had to say about the changes Singapore should be prepared for and how to adapt to them:

WORKING FROM HOME AND THE BURDEN OF CARING FOR WOMEN

“It is often said that Singapore’s only natural resource is our people, but we are not even employing half of our people, our women, efficiently. Why is our female labor force participation rate so low? According to the McKinsey Global Institute, the culprit is childcare responsibilities. “

– Nee Soon GRC MP Louis Ng, who noted that Singapore’s female participation rate in the workforce was significantly lower than other Southeast Asian countries, and called for flexible working hours to account for caregiving responsibilities

“Last weekend, while visiting friends for lunch, our two-year-old announced that he had to go to the bathroom. My husband stood up to carry it, and he was immediately greeted with awe and praise for being such a down-to-earth parent. Would the same have happened if a mother had taken her child to the bathroom? Shouldn’t we think long and hard about what it says about the roles of mothers and fathers that we are expected to sing high praise for fathers who change diapers or take their children to give their wives a break? “

– Sengkang GRC MP He Tingru, who spoke on supporting families with parental leave policies and highlighted how flexible work arrangements could work better for in-home caregivers

PRIORITIZE JOBS AND SKILLS

“I think that prioritizing skills should start early, even before they start their job. And here I mean institutes of higher education. Relevant courses should be identified and prioritized in the pre-employment training stage, while more specialized courses should be pushed into the continuing training stage. In this way, all of our graduates have the guarantee of a solid but flexible base that can be applied in other disciplines ”.

– Jalan Besar, GRC MP Wan Rizal Wan Zakariah, who spoke about his experience as an educator and the importance of combining skills with jobs in which they can be applied.

“We need these regional and international collaborations to stay ahead of the competition, to increase our value and usefulness to the world, thus ensuring our survival and prosperity. The best approach is not to stay away and protect ourselves from competition in this rapidly advancing technological world. We prefer to face the competition and equip Singaporeans with skills and tools so that we stay ahead of the competition. ”

– Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Gan Thiam Poh, who shared concerns about over-reliance on foreign labor and the implications for the local workforce and local businesses

JOB MATCHING

“When so many companies are being restructured, you should expect job and skill mismatches. We recognize the tremendous adjustments that both employees and employers need to give each other a chance, even if they don’t seem like a perfect fit. Many job seekers have shown so much courage and stamina. ”

– Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC MP Zaqy Mohamad, who addressed how the government’s plans to help workers retrain and find employment amid the pandemic, including the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package, have come into effect

“If we cut through the statistics and think about the thousands of Singapore job seekers as individuals, with lives to build and families to feed, grappling with the uncertainty of a search that has been going on for months, trying to stay strong amidst Radio silence deflation after your request that was sent out weeks ago or after last week’s interview that seemed to have gone pretty well. So it becomes very clear to us that we must not only walk alongside every Singaporean every step of the way, but also deliver results for these job seekers. In other words, I urge the government to redouble the job search and fill many more vacancies much faster. ”

– Jurong GRC MP Xie Yao Quan, who shared about a resident whose job offer prior to the COVID-19 pandemic was withdrawn, and who has submitted more than 80 job applications in the seven months since

THREAT OF INTERRUPTION

But it is possible that COVID-19 has, in fact, delayed the advancement of these disruptive industries by delaying deadlines for R&D and new business investments. As COVID-19 recedes, the threat and opportunity from these disruptive trends may revert to the old trajectory, meaning that many jobs in Singapore will be in jeopardy, not from COVID-19, but from disruption of the long-term industry. ”

– Aljunied GRC MP Leon Perera, who shared his concerns about preparing the local workforce for industry disruption and improving their employability

“Many public-private venture funds, like Startup SG, tend to privilege technology-oriented companies. While these investments are attractive because they can lead to the next Carousell or Grab, we cannot outrun the vast majority of old economy companies. Furthermore, increasing productivity levels in these companies is not limited to implementing the latest technology or adapting artificial intelligence solutions. They are often derived from much more modest sources, such as focusing on improving basic management practices. ”

– Sengkang GRC MP Jamus Lim, who spoke about more support for SMEs beyond easing financial constraints

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR VULNERABLE SINGAPOREES

“So far this year, I don’t have a percentage, but thanks to Yellow Ribbon SG, 1,534 ex-offenders have been hired … A lot of work has been done to achieve these figures. We can do much more. Remember these are healthy Singaporeans. Although we assume that we have another twenty percent in self-employment, I would suggest that our government and the whole of society can do much more to reduce unemployment by about 30 percent among our ex-offenders … a good sign from our society to the ex-offenders of whom we remain committed to their rehabilitation and reintegration even in these difficult times. ”

– Bukit Batok SMC MP Murali Pillai, who said he has met several residents who are ex-offenders who are struggling to find work or are being poorly paid during this pandemic.

PRUDENT FISCAL POLICIES AND USE OF GOVERNMENT RESERVES

“With a sharp deterioration in growth prospects expected from all major economies, Singapore’s revenue prospects will remain uncertain and challenging for several years and I think we were all concerned when DPM spoke about the need for higher taxes. And given the bleak economic environment, residents are understandably concerned about the impending GST hike. ”

– West Coast GRC MP Foo Mee Har, who asked if the original sum of the S $ 6 billion guarantee package will still be held to cushion the impact of the GST increase