{"id":32590,"date":"2023-10-18T10:00:05","date_gmt":"2023-10-18T02:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/?p=32590"},"modified":"2023-10-18T11:21:50","modified_gmt":"2023-10-18T03:21:50","slug":"flexible-work-arrangements-cant-be-for-just-well-paid-professionals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/2023\/10\/18\/flexible-work-arrangements-cant-be-for-just-well-paid-professionals\/","title":{"rendered":"Flexible work arrangements can\u2019t be for just well-paid professionals"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"\" data-block=\"true\" data-editor=\"u7bv\" data-offset-key=\"as6sh-0-0\">\n<div class=\"_1mf _1mj\" data-offset-key=\"as6sh-0-0\"><span data-offset-key=\"as6sh-0-0\">Amidst the turbulence and uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic, companies adapted by adopting flexible working arrangements, which have since become commonplace. However, this flexibility is not enjoyed by all, often being the exclusive prerogative of well-paid work. <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"\" data-block=\"true\" data-editor=\"u7bv\" data-offset-key=\"27gi5-0-0\">\n<div class=\"_1mf _1mj\" data-offset-key=\"27gi5-0-0\"><span data-offset-key=\"27gi5-0-0\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"\" data-block=\"true\" data-editor=\"u7bv\" data-offset-key=\"9f0ds-0-0\">\n<div class=\"_1mf _1mj\" data-offset-key=\"9f0ds-0-0\"><span data-offset-key=\"9f0ds-0-0\">In their insightful article titled &#8220;Flexible work arrangements can\u2019t be for just well-paid professionals&#8221; (The Straits Times, 12 October 2023), Associate Professor Irene Y. H. Ng (NUS Social Work and Social Service Research Centre) and Assistant Professor Gerard Chung (NUS Social Work and Social Service Research Centre) spotlight the glaring disparities in flexible work arrangements (FWAs) between affluent professionals and young workers in low-income, entry-level positions. <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"\" data-block=\"true\" data-editor=\"u7bv\" data-offset-key=\"cnkmb-0-0\">\n<div class=\"_1mf _1mj\" data-offset-key=\"cnkmb-0-0\"><span data-offset-key=\"cnkmb-0-0\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"\" data-block=\"true\" data-editor=\"u7bv\" data-offset-key=\"2rgeq-0-0\">\n<div class=\"_1mf _1mj\" data-offset-key=\"2rgeq-0-0\"><span data-offset-key=\"2rgeq-0-0\">Drawing from their research, A\/P Ng and Asst. Prof Chung argue that current discussions on FWAs often neglect the unique challenges confronting young individuals in low-wage roles. They posit that unstable work schedules and mandatory odd shifts constitute the nuanced notion of &#8220;time poverty&#8221;. They assert that these issues predominantly burden young workers by hampering family interactions, social engagements, and even opportunities for professional growth.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"\" data-block=\"true\" data-editor=\"u7bv\" data-offset-key=\"7up7u-0-0\">\n<div class=\"_1mf _1mj\" data-offset-key=\"7up7u-0-0\"><span data-offset-key=\"7up7u-0-0\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"\" data-block=\"true\" data-editor=\"u7bv\" data-offset-key=\"5q5it-0-0\">\n<div class=\"_1mf _1mj\" data-offset-key=\"5q5it-0-0\"><span data-offset-key=\"5q5it-0-0\">A\/P Ng and Asst. Prof Chung critique current flexi-work policies, pointing out that they often focus on telecommuting and flexible work hours, leaving out a significant portion of workers. They warn of the emergence of a two-tier economy, where the majority relish in the possibility of flexibility while a significant minority remains excluded from its benefits.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"\" data-block=\"true\" data-editor=\"u7bv\" data-offset-key=\"bk4jm-0-0\">\n<div class=\"_1mf _1mj\" data-offset-key=\"bk4jm-0-0\"><span data-offset-key=\"bk4jm-0-0\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"\" data-block=\"true\" data-editor=\"u7bv\" data-offset-key=\"5u155-0-0\">\n<div class=\"_1mf _1mj\" data-offset-key=\"5u155-0-0\"><span data-offset-key=\"5u155-0-0\">The authors offer tangible solutions for a more inclusive work environment. They also question the necessity of round-the-clock services, champion the merits of job sharing and rotation, and underscore the pivotal role employers play in ensuring flexibility. In so doing, A\/P Ng and Asst. Prof Chung emphasize the urgency to address the issues of time poverty and rigid workplace structures for low-wage earners.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"\" data-block=\"true\" data-editor=\"u7bv\" data-offset-key=\"elhf-0-0\">\n<div class=\"_1mf _1mj\" data-offset-key=\"elhf-0-0\"><span data-offset-key=\"elhf-0-0\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"\" data-block=\"true\" data-editor=\"u7bv\" data-offset-key=\"2uk1r-0-0\">\n<div class=\"_1mf _1mj\" data-offset-key=\"2uk1r-0-0\"><span data-offset-key=\"2uk1r-0-0\">Read the article <a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/opinion\/flexible-work-arrangements-can-t-be-for-just-well-paid-professionals\">here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"\" data-block=\"true\" data-editor=\"u7bv\" data-offset-key=\"5uba9-0-0\">\n<div class=\"_1mf _1mj\" data-offset-key=\"5uba9-0-0\"><span data-offset-key=\"5uba9-0-0\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"\" data-block=\"true\" data-editor=\"u7bv\" data-offset-key=\"c0471-0-0\">\n<div class=\"_1mf _1mj\" data-offset-key=\"c0471-0-0\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_32591\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-32591\" style=\"width: 2560px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-32591 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/10\/IMG_7144-scaled-2-e1697524221450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/10\/IMG_7144-scaled-2-e1697524221450.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/10\/IMG_7144-scaled-2-e1697524221450-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/10\/IMG_7144-scaled-2-e1697524221450-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/10\/IMG_7144-scaled-2-e1697524221450-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/10\/IMG_7144-scaled-2-e1697524221450-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/10\/IMG_7144-scaled-2-e1697524221450-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-32591\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: \u2018Cashier at a food truck, at a Christmas carnival\u2019 by Kelman Chiang from SRN\u2019s SG Photobank<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Amidst the turbulence and uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic, companies adapted by adopting flexible working arrangements, which have since become commonplace. However, this flexibility is not enjoyed by all, often being the exclusive prerogative of well-paid work. \u00a0 In their insightful article titled &#8220;Flexible work arrangements can\u2019t be for just well-paid professionals&#8221; (The Straits Times, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":269,"featured_media":32591,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[4529,4606,4609,4544,4604],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32590","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-research","category-singapore-research-nexus","category-social-work","category-visible"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32590","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/269"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32590"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32590\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32592,"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32590\/revisions\/32592"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32591"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32590"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32590"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/srn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32590"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}