INTHEBLACK August 2024 - Flipbook - Page 9
“Devices are on 24/7 – we all know that. However, you can control
the notifications and the settings that come through, [so] don’t let
the technology control you.”
Denise Dresser, CEO of cloud-based team communication platform Slack,
speaking to Australian Financial Review.
FLEXIBLE WORK:
SINGAPORE
Workplaces in Singapore may be poised to
become more flexible. From 1 December 2024,
all workers in the city-state will be able
to request a four-day work week, more
work-from-home days and staggered work
timings. The condition is part of a new
guideline announced by the Tripartite Alliance
for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices,
an agency set up by the Ministry of Manpower,
the National Trades Union Congress and the
Singapore National Employers Federation.
Employers can reject the request on
the grounds of a significant decrease in
productivity, a significant increase in cost
or because it conflicts with the nature of the
work. However, they cannot reject a request
if management simply does not agree with
flexible work conditions or if it conflicts with
a company’s traditional work practices.
While the guideline is not enforceable by
law, it does require all firms in Singapore to set
up a process for employees to submit a formal
flexible-working arrangement request.
Read the guideline
TIME TO GREEN THE FINANCE INDUSTRY?
Green skills are largely eluding the finance industry, according
to data from the Australian Sustainable Finance Institute, which
shows that 7 per cent of finance professionals across the globe
have the skills critical to achieving global sustainability targets.
In Singapore, the finance industry workforce has five times as
many green skills as the global industry average. While the data
suggests that 92 per cent of Singapore’s finance workers have
no green skills, the 7.8 per cent who do are likely to have multiple
green skills.
A promising development is that workers in the US and Europe
are rapidly acquiring skills at the intersection of finance and
sustainability. These skills include carbon accounting, carbon credits,
emissions trading, impact assessment and sustainability reporting.
Read the data
intheblack.cpaaustralia.com.au 9
