KUALA LUMPUR — The Ministry of Human Resources (KESUMA), through Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad (TalentCorp), will conduct a study on companies that have implemented flexible work arrangements (FWA).
Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong said the six-month study, which will commence in January, aims to assess the impact of FWA implementation on company and employee productivity.
“We have international reports stating that productivity is not affected, but for KESUMA, we also want to examine this within the Malaysian context,” he told a press conference after launching the FWA guidelines here today.
He said the guidelines contain important elements that all parties, especially employees and employers need to know in the implementation of FWA.
“This includes the definition of FWA, methods of implementation, the application procedure for employees, as well as the responsibilities of employees and employers in the FWA implementation process,” he explained.
As of October, nearly 3,000 companies, involving more than 565,000 employees, have shown potential for FWA transformation after participating in workshops conducted by TalentCorp, Sim added.
To encourage greater adoption of FWA, he said TalentCorp, in collaboration with the Department of Labour Peninsular Malaysia (JTKSM), will intensify campaigns and workshops to provide guidance on FWA implementation based on appropriate timing, locations and target groups.
These campaigns would begin in major cities such as the Klang Valley, Penang, and Johor Bahru, which are hubs for corporate companies and small and medium enterprises.
“With the implementation of FWA, we hope it will slightly ease traffic congestion by allowing more flexible working hours, working from home, or working at locations closer to home.
“We are also confident that creating a more conducive and flexible work environment that provides work-life balance will benefit companies, especially in retaining talents to continue serving in their organisations,” he said.
Earlier, TalentCorp reported that a survey conducted via email among selected private companies from Sept 9 to Oct 5 revealed that 78 companies have implemented FWA, while another 46 companies have approved FWA applications from their employees.
The survey found that 11,272 employees had their FWA applications approved, with the most common types requested being flexible working hours, flexible work locations, and flexible working days. – December 5, 2024