Six-month study to determine flexible work's impact on productivity, employee wellbeing
The Malaysian government is carrying out a six-month study in three major urban areas to evaluate the impact of Flexible Working Arrangements (FWA) on productivity, profitability, and employee wellbeing.
TalentCorp Malaysia, which is under the country’s Ministry of Human Resources, is carrying out the research in Penang, the Klang Valley, and Johor, Bernama reported.
Human Resources Minister Steven Sim said the study was carried out after similar research across the world. The government wants to determine the outcomes of FWA in Malaysia, where culture and work attitudes may be different from overseas.
"So we said okay, no problem since we are doing this, we undertook a six-month study and I hope the findings can be published by the end of this year or early next year, as nearly one million workers have already benefited from FWA," Sim said as quoted by Bernama.
According to the report, the study is part of the government efforts to create a more progressive and inclusive work environment. TalentCorp, which is mandated to drive Malaysia’s talent strategy, has a central role in policy advocacy and implementation.
Flexible work in Malaysia
The study comes months after the government granted employees the right to request flexible work arrangements under the 2022 amendments to the Employment Act 1995.
Under the amendments, employees may apply for FWAs based on time, days, and work location.
Employers are mandated to provide feedback within 60 days. They are also obligated to provide a reason if the employee's application for FWA is rejected.
