Govt exploring grants, incentives for firms to offer jobs with flexible workloads
The Singaporean government is exploring new grants and incentives to encourage employers to offer fractional or part-time work arrangements. This initiative aims to provide greater career flexibility for individuals, particularly those balancing family commitments.
Why it matters
This policy shift reflects a growing global trend of governments intervening in labor markets to address declining fertility rates and changing workforce needs.
Acting Manpower Minister Jasmin Lau (left) and Institute of Policy Studies senior research fellow Gillian Koh during the Young Singaporeans Conference 2026: Future Makers dialogue at Temasek Shophouse on Oct 14.
Listen SINGAPORE – The Government is studying how to encourage employers to offer fractional work to people who need greater flexibility in their careers, said Acting Manpower Minister Jasmin Lau on Oct 14.
This will involve offering grants and incentives to employers and helping them redesign certain jobs into bundles of tasks, she added.
Fractional work refers to arrangements in which employees provide their skills on a part-time basis, working a fraction of the hours of a full-time employee.
Lau was responding to a question from a young woman during a 20-minute dialogue at the Young Singaporeans Conference 2026: Future Makers organised by the Institute of Policy Studies.
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