Is it time that the government considered enacting legislation to create better work-life balance for Singaporeans?
This was a central question brought up by Member of Parliament Melvin Yong in his speech in Parliament on Monday (Aug. 31).
Can consider Right to Disconnect legislation?
Yong spoke about how the past six months — during which many jobs have shifted to work-from-home due to Covid-19 restrictions — have shown us that "blurring the lines between home and office has its challenges".
He cited recent surveys by the National University Health System Mind Science Centre about workplace resilience and mental health, which found that Singaporeans who are working-from-home face higher stress levels than frontline workers.
With more people working from home, Yong asked if it is time that Singapore considers a "Right to Disconnect" legislation.
Right to disconnect is the right of employees to disconnect from their work outside of normal work hours, and to not have to answer work-related emails, phone calls, or messages during those times, according to UNI Global Union.
France was the first country to protect this right using legislation in 2016, when it made the right to disconnect a topic for mandatory negotiation in companies.
Spain and Italy have also adopted right to disconnect in their laws, and countries such as Belgium, Canada, India, the Philippines, and Portugal have begun exploring the introduction of a right to disconnect, either at the national or state level.
"Having a dedicated break will help to reduce employee fatigue and burnout," Yong said.
Important to protect workers' physical and mental health
Yong also expressed his hopes that the government will provide better mental and physical health support to Singaporeans.
For example, he suggested the list of Occupational Diseases under the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA) could be expanded to include mental health illnesses related to work stress.
He also suggested that the Tripartite Advisory on Mental Health be expedited, in order to help people who are currently struggling with mental health issues related to work, so they can get needed support.
Yong also pointed to the use of technology to prevent worksite accidents, by allowing dangerous work to be done remotely, or through smart PPEs and wearable technologies which can reduce fatalities and the severity of injuries if an accident happens.
"Smarter workplaces must lead to safer workplaces, and I hope that the Government can accelerate the implementation of these technologies at our work places, starting with the high-risk sectors such as construction and manufacturing," said Yong.
He highlighted one group in particular which he believes could benefit from more protection, freelancers.
Freelancers, Yong pointed out, do not enjoy the same Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) statutory benefits as employees. These benefits include coverage under WICA, medical group insurance, and medical leave.
Because the lack of WSH protection makes freelancers cheaper to hire than employees, Yong said, more companies adopt these types of self-employed arrangements to avoid costs, which is a "gap that needs to be plugged".
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Top photo via Facebook / Melvin Yong and Pexels.