SINGAPORE: Flexible work is easier to request in Singapore today, but using it tells another story.
A Channel NewsAsia (CNA) report on Apr 22, 2026, shows many workers still face subtle pushback after getting approval. Some are ignored in text or email messages. Others feel watched more closely. A few even fear losing their jobs.
One father, who works from home twice a week to care for his toddler, said his colleagues became less responsive. Meetings shifted to in-person. Work slowed. Despite strong performance, he worries his arrangement may cost him his role.
His case is not rare; other workers have also said that such work flexibility often comes with hidden penalties. These include slower career progress, strained relationships, and social isolation at work.
Approvals from management are up, but worker hesitation remains
On paper, the progress on flexible work approvals looks solid. Around 70 per cent of firms now offer flexible work options, according to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
A 2025 survey by the People’s Action Party (PAP) Women’s Wing and National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) found about 90 per cent of requests were approved, fully or with changes. Yet one-third of workers still avoid asking to use it, citing the stigma associated with it.
That hesitation says more about workplace culture than policy.
Many managers still equate staff presence with work commitment
Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP) chief executive officer Aslam Sardar said some work leaders struggle to move away from “presenteeism”. That means judging a worker’s effort by time spent in the office rather than by their results.
That leads to micromanagement. Workers reported being checked on frequently when working from home. Some felt they had to prove they were not taking advantage.
A museum employee who cared for a sick parent said a senior manager monitored her closely. And after her parents passed away, expectations from her work tightened. She believed it affected her career prospects.
Managers rated remote workers lower on commitment
A study by National University of Singapore (NUS) assistant professor Wang Senhu and King’s College London researcher Chung Heejung found obvious work bias.
Managers rated remote workers lower on commitment and promotion potential. This was based on a 2022 survey of 473 managers.
The effect was stronger for fathers than for mothers. Fathers who asked for flexibility were seen as breaking the “ideal worker” image of full availability.
The study also found framing matters. When flexible work is seen as a benefit for caregivers, it looks like a special favour. This weakens its professional standing.
When work flexibility becomes a fear of career threat
For some, the career stakes are high. In one case, a father of a child with special needs said he was warned he could be dismissed after working from the hospital during a family crisis. He later changed jobs for more flexibility but now avoids asking for it.
Another senior employee filed a complaint with the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) after her request was rejected. The dispute remains unresolved.
These cases show how quickly flexibility can shift from support to risk.
Worker uncertainty over remote work
Flexible work is no longer a fringe perk. It shapes hiring and retention, as a 2024 MOM survey found 65.4 per cent of workers consider flexibility when choosing jobs. Only salary ranked higher.
One worker even said uncertainty over remote work is holding him back from having another child. This then also links workplace culture directly to birth rates in Singapore.
Some companies adapt faster and don’t struggle with flexible work arrangements
Some employers, however, are adapting more quickly to changes in work-life balance than others.
One marketing head in an investment firm works from home twice a week with full team support. Meetings are planned around her schedule. Her performance is reviewed regularly, with no issues raised.
Another firm offered a part-time permanent role to a returning mother, with benefits and structured hours. This shows flexibility can work when designed well.
Managers need to focus on workers’ results, not their attendance
Experts agree that the next phase is not to add more work rules. It is better to improve the execution of work instead.
Managers need to focus on outcomes, not attendance. Decisions must be transparent. Flexible workers shouldn’t face hidden career threats and costs.
NTUC assistant secretary-general Yeo Wan Ling said policies can guide change. Workplace culture decides if they actually work.
Judge workers by what they deliver, not for where they work from
Flexible work is already here, so the next question is whether companies treat it as normal work practices or a special exception.
If someone meets deadlines, supports the team, and performs well, their work location should no longer matter.
Anything else is just old habits dressed up as effective management.
