Flexi-Works! is an initiative by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA), in partnership with the National Trade Union Congress (NTUC) to help companies hire new workers on part-time or flexible work arrangements. The scheme offers a grant of up to $100,000 to support a company’s efforts in doing so. The programme has been extended to run from 1 April 2010 to 31 December 2012.
Two Tranches of Flexi-Works!
Funding will be disbursed in 2 tranches:
Tranche 1: Companies can claim up to $10,000 for introducing flexible work arrangements in the organisations.
For this tranche, companies will have to:
- Send HR staff for MOM-approved Work-Life training;
- Make provision for flexible work arrangements1 in their HR policies; and
- Communicate the policy to their staff
Grant Computation
The grant amount will be based on 80% of actual cost incurred, capped at $10,000 per company. Companies can apply for reimbursement of costs.
This tranche is the same as the first tranche of the WoW! Fund. Each applicant can only tap on this tranche once, either under the WoW! Fund or Flexi-Works! programmes. They can tap on the second tranches of WoW! Fund and Flexi-Works! independently.
Tranche 2: Companies can claim up to $90,000 for recruiting eligible workers on part-time or flexible work arrangements.
For this tranche, companies would have to:
- Fulfill the requirements of Tranche 1 (companies must apply for Tranches 1 and 2 concurrently);
- Recruit local workers with the following two requirements:
- 60% of the recruited workers to be out of work for at least 3 months; and
- Aged 30 and above.
Grant Computation
The grant amount will be based on:
- Number of workers recruited on part-time or flexible working arrangements and retained for at least 2 months multiplied by $1,500; OR
- 80% of the declared project costs,whichever is the lower, subject to a cap of $90,000 per company.
Companies should aim to achieve their recruitment target 6 months from the date of approval for their application.
For company receiving or applying for the ADVANTAGE! grant, the total cumulative grant for both projects is capped at $400,000.
What can the Grant be used for?
- The grant can be used for costs incurred for job redesign, consultancy, recruitment, training, absentee payroll and equipment, or to put in place part time or flexible working arrangements.
- The grant cannot be used for any form of retention bonus or salary support.
How To Apply?
You can download the forms, complete and send it to the address below:
Flexi-Works! Application Form 2010 [Click here]
Flexi-Works! Claims Form 2009 [Click here]
Flexi-Works! Claims Form 2010 [Click here]
Women's Development Secretariat
NTUC Centre, No. 1 Marina Boulevard
#11-01, One Marina Boulevard
Singapore 018989
Visit our website: http://www.ntucwds.org.sg
Companies interested to apply for the Flexi-Works! grant may contact NTUC at tel: 6213 8427 or email wds@ntuc.org.sg for more details.
FAQs:
Q1. How to apply?
Companies interested to apply for the Flexi-Works! grant may contact NTUC at tel: 6213 8427 or email wds@ntuc.org.sg.
Q2. What are the qualifying criteria?
Companies can apply if:
- They intend to create jobs that are part-time or flexible in nature;
- Intend to hire NEW workers. These workers have to fulfill the following requirements:
i) Singaporeans or Singapore PRs; and
ii) aged 30 and above.
Q3. What costs can I claim?
The grant will support costs incurred by the company for job re-design, consultancy, recruitment, training, absentee payroll, equipment and materials associated with making part time and flexible work arrangements possible. This can include one time cost of buying additional sets of uniforms, tools, materials, etc that arise because of part time work arrangements.
However, companies cannot claim against recurrent manpower cost or staff holding cost, such as wages, medical benefits, insurance, staff welfare.
Q4. How will the grant be computed?
For Tranche 1, the grant amount will be based on 80% of actual cost incurred, and will work on a reimbursement system, capped at $10,000 per company
For Tranche 2, the eligible grant for each company will be based on
- Number of workers recruited on part-time or flexible working arrangements and retained for at least 2 months multiplied by $1,500; OR
- 80% of the actual project costs,
Q5. How many workers must I employ to qualify?
There is no limit on the number of workers. Rather the funding is capped at $100,000 per company.
Q6. How and when would I get the grant?
Companies can claim for Tranche 1 as soon as they meet the requirements of having:
- Send HR staff for MOM-approved Work-Life training;
- Make provision for FWA in their HR policies; and
- Communicate the policy to their staff.
For Tranche 2, since the grant amount depends on the number of workers successfully recruited and retained for at least 2 months, companies would be evaluated 6 months after the date of approval for their Flexi-Works! application, to determined the amount of grant they are entitled. Companies would also need to have claimed from Tranche 1 before obtaining grant from Tranche 2.
Q7. How many times can I apply for the grant?
This is a one-time grant which encourages companies to hire workers on part-time or flexible work arrangements. We hope that companies will continue implementing part-time or flexible work arrangements in future to reap the benefits.
Q8. Why is the total funding for companies who apply for both Flexi-Works! and ADVANTAGE! grants capped at $400,000?
A company who is given a grant under Flexi-Works! may apply for ADVANTAGE! later when it is ready to implement re-employment policies. As the target groups of workers to benefit from both Flexi-Works! and ADVANTAGE! are similar, the total combined amount of grants a company may receive from both schemes will be capped at $400,000.
Q9. How is Flexi-Works! different from WoW!? What are the similarities?
Flexi-Works! is to facilitate the recruitment of employees (aged 30 and above) on part-time/flexible work arrangement. This is targeted at helping companies attract the economically inactive back to work. It provides each company up to $100,000 in funding, when it hires new employees (aged 30 and above), on part-time/flexible work arrangement.
The WoW! Fund is to facilitate companies to implement Work-Life initiatives. It is a project-based grant that funds up to $20,000 per project for work-life initiatives. It is targeted at building Work-Life processes and infrastructure in a company, and would tend to benefit the entire workforce in a company, including in-employment workers. The WoW! Fund funds a wide range of Work-Life solutions, including employee support schemes such as lactation or daycare rooms, time-saving services etc.
However, as a common objective of both funds are to promote flexible work arrangements, a common tranche for the WoW! Fund and Flexi-Works! programmes was introduced in 1 Mar 2009. The common tranche is intended to facilitate the provision of flexible work arrangements (FWA) in applicant companies.
Q10. What is the definition of a "part-time worker"?
A part-time worker is defined as an employee who is required under his contract of service with an employer to work less than 35 hours a week.
Q11. What is the definition of “flexible work arrangements”?
Flexible work arrangements include flexi-time, permanent part-time work, job-sharing, compressed work-week, tele-working or annualised work hours.
Q12. I am the owner of a local accounting firm and there are two workers on flexible work arrangement such as a four-day week. Can I apply for the grant?
The grant does not apply to existing workers. Only new hires from the pool of economically inactive workers are applicable.
Q13. I am the owner of a small retail shop in the HDB heartland and in the process of recruiting three female workers to work on part-time basis. Can I apply for the grant?
Yes you can apply for the grant.