One in three Singapore workers still fear stigma when requesting flexible work, joint PAP-NTUC survey finds

NTUC Women and Family (WAF) and the PAP Women’s Wing marked International Women’s Day (IWD) 2026 with back-to-back events united by a common thread: flexible work arrangements (FWA) are becoming more widely available, but getting workers to actually use them without fear remains an unfinished task.

The two-day commemoration began on 7 March 2026 with the PAP Women’s Wing’s Work Your Worth event, where findings from a joint survey with NTUC WAF were unveiled.

The following day, on 8 March 2026, NTUC WAF held its own IWD celebration at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre under the theme Meals That Multitask — Like Women Do, drawing nearly 1,000 attendees.

NTUC Assistant Secretary-General and WAF Director Yeo Wan Ling, PAP Women’s Wing Chairperson Sim Ann, NTUC President K Thanaletchimi, and NTUC Deputy Secretary-General Desmond Tan at the launch of the “One-Pot Wonders” Recipe Book at NTUC’s International Women’s Day celebrations on 8 March 2026.

What the survey found

The Singapore Workforce Flexibility Survey, conducted between 18 November and 10 December 2025 with 1,508 respondents, was co-commissioned by the PAP Women’s Wing research team, led by NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Yeo Wan Ling and Adviser Gan Siow Huang, in collaboration with NTUC WAF.

Ms Yeo, who also serves as NTUC WAF Director, presented the key findings at the 7 March event.

The headline figures show genuine progress: three in four respondents (76 per cent) said their workplaces offer FWAs—whether flexi-place, flexi-time, or flexi-load.

Among those who had formally applied for flexible arrangements, 89 per cent were fully approved or approved with some modifications.

But the following numbers tell a more complicated story.

One in three respondents (36 per cent) said stigma, or the fear of bias or being seen negatively, remains their primary concern when requesting an FWA. Only 58 per cent are aware of the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests (TG-FWAR), which took effect in 2024 to standardise how requests are handled. Just 29 per cent know where to turn if a request is denied or mishandled.

The reasons workers need flexibility are also telling: 70 per cent cited caregiving as their main motivator; far ahead of reducing commute time (57 per cent) and managing emergencies (55 per cent).

For most workers, flexible work is not a lifestyle preference. It is how they hold together work and family.

But it is not just workers holding back. Among perceived organisational limitations, 37 per cent of respondents cited employer fears about misuse or reduced productivity, 32 per cent said FWAs were treated as optional, and 30 per cent pointed to roles requiring physical presence.

A request can be approved on paper while the culture around it remains unchanged.

Workers know what would help. Fourty two per cent called for a wider range of FWA options, 41 per cent said visible leadership support was needed before they would feel comfortable asking, and 34 per cent wanted clearer internal policies and processes.

PAP Women’s Wing Chairperson Sim Ann, who was the Guest of Honour at the 7 March event, said the survey showed FWAs were entering “a phase of widening adoption, which is encouraging,” but noted that “trust-building and strong leadership in the workplace remain key to helping more employees, including women, benefit from FWAs.”

Panellists at the PAP Women’s Wing International Women’s Day event on 7 March 2026, discussing workplace flexibility and findings from the joint survey with NTUC Women and Family.

NTUC’s IWD event: From survey to action

The practical complement to the survey data came the following day, at NTUC WAF’s IWD celebrations graced by the guest of honour, NTUC President K Thanaletchimi, with PAP Women’s Wing Chairperson Sim Ann attending as Special Guest.

The centrepiece was the launch of One Pot Wonders, a recipe book of practical recipes contributed by union leaders and advisors, many of them male—a deliberate signal that supporting women and caregiving responsibilities is a shared effort across families, workplaces and the wider community.

Ms Yeo said: “Many women today are balancing full careers alongside caregiving and household responsibilities. Supporting women at work therefore requires practical solutions that recognise the realities of life at home.

“Through NTUC WAF, we work with our unions and partners to advocate for measures such as nursing rooms at workplaces, stronger workplace grievance support, and programmes that help women stay in and progress in the workforce.”

The event also recognised more than 100 Women Resilience Ambassadors—women engaged through NTUC’s unions and networks who demonstrate resilience in managing both professional responsibilities and caregiving duties.

Each ambassador received an air fryer donated by DD Pte Ltd (Valu$) and is invited to contribute recipes to future editions of the cookbook, helping to share practical tips and encouragement with other women navigating similar journeys.

Ms Yeo added: “It is encouraging to see many men, union advisors and leaders, step forward as allies in this effort. Supporting women and families must be a shared responsibility across workplaces, unions and households.”

NTUC e2i Director (Stakeholder Management) Wan Rizal, NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Yeo Wan Ling, and Senior Parliamentary Secretary Eric Chua during the live cooking demonstration at NTUC’s International Women’s Day celebrations on 8 March 2026.

What comes next

Both organisations have signalled that this year’s IWD is a starting point, not a one-day celebration.

The PAP Women’s Wing plans to hold listening sessions across all PAP branches, engaging Singaporean women and men across four domains: Careers and Leadership, Seasons of Life, Health and Well-being, and Safety and Respect, with findings to shape future advocacy priorities.

NTUC WAF continues to push for greater government support for SMEs implementing FWAs and parental leave, noting that smaller employers, who collectively employ around 70 per cent of Singapore’s workforce, often lack the resources to make flexible work sustainable without assistance.

For working women in Singapore, the policy is no longer the problem. The question is whether it translates into real change—in the workplace, and across every stage of life.

For more information on NTUC Women and Family’s programmes and initiatives, visit ntuc.org.sg/uwomenandfamily.