SINGAPORE: Singapore is asking employers to do more than just hire older workers. It wants them to rethink how jobs are built.

A new push from policymakers and industry groups is putting the focus on flexible roles, job redesign, and practical changes at the company level. The message is that older workers can stay, but the work itself must evolve.

Senior Minister of State for Manpower Dr Koh Poh Koon said many firms still struggle with two issues: limited flexible work options and a lack of know-how to retrain seniors for different roles.

He urged companies to take a more active role instead of waiting for policy fixes. Government support can help, but real change depends on what employers do on the ground, Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reports.

Older workers are becoming part of the solution for the labour market

Singapore is set to become a “super-aged” society this year. More than one in five residents will be 65 or older.

That change is already shaping hiring decisions as companies face a tight labour market, and older workers are becoming part of the solution.

Dr Koh pointed out that many seniors want to keep working. Income matters, but so does routine and social connection. There is also a health angle; staying active at work helps slow physical and mental decline.

Around 30 companies are now working with a tripartite group to test new ways of structuring careers across different life stages.

Creating new roles that didn’t exist before

One example comes from Tower Transit, which is piloting new roles for bus captains aged 60 and above.

From May, 15 senior drivers will try out three career pathways designed to reduce physical strain while keeping their experience in play. They can rotate between driving and working as interchange officers, helping with operations and basic digital tasks.

Another option is becoming a “buddy,” guiding new drivers on routes and safety practices. A third pathway allows part-time driving. These roles didn’t exist before. They were created to stretch careers without stretching bodies.

Without such options, most bus captains would continue full-time driving until 75, the licence limit.

One veteran driver, who has spent about three decades on the job, is moving into a mentoring role instead of retiring. He plans to pass on his experience to younger colleagues.

Keeping experienced staff helps ease hiring pressure

Retention is a key factor. Tower Transit employs about 1,600 bus captains, with 14 per cent aged 60 and above. Keeping experienced staff helps ease hiring pressure.

Managing director Winston Toh said the challenge is making these changes work without raising costs. The company will review the pilot after a year before deciding whether to expand it.

Beyond job redesign, the company has introduced tools like wearable exoskeletons to help older technicians handle physically demanding tasks. The goal is to keep skilled workers productive for longer.

Singapore National Employers Federation vice-president Tan Hwee Bin described these efforts as practical steps that demonstrate how companies can better deploy senior workers and ease labour shortages.

Rigid roles built for younger workers no longer fit an ageing workforce

The bigger picture is less about extending retirement and more about redesigning work itself.

Companies that adapt early may find it easier to retain experience, reduce hiring pressure, and maintain operational stability.

Those who don’t may face growing strain as the labour pool tightens.

Enabling people to work in different ways as they age

Keeping seniors employed shouldn’t mean asking them to do the same job for longer. It means reshaping work, so experience matters more than physical strain.

The companies that get this balance right will solve manpower issues and build workplaces that reflect the reality of Singapore’s demographic shift.

A practical next step is to review existing roles, remove unnecessary physical demands, and create pathways that enable people to contribute in different ways as they age.

Read related: Singapore employees fear job loss amid higher flexible work approvals

This article (Koh Poh Koon: Singapore companies must take active role, as job redesign and flexible work help retain older workers) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: Flexible work is easier to request in Singapore today, but using it tells another story.

A Channel NewsAsia (CNA) report on Apr 22, 2026, shows many workers still face subtle pushback after getting approval. Some are ignored in text or email messages. Others feel watched more closely. A few even fear losing their jobs.

One father, who works from home twice a week to care for his toddler, said his colleagues became less responsive. Meetings shifted to in-person. Work slowed. Despite strong performance, he worries his arrangement may cost him his role.

His case is not rare; other workers have also said that such work flexibility often comes with hidden penalties. These include slower career progress, strained relationships, and social isolation at work.

Approvals from management are up, but worker hesitation remains

On paper, the progress on flexible work approvals looks solid. Around 70 per cent of firms now offer flexible work options, according to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).

A 2025 survey by the People’s Action Party (PAP) Women’s Wing and National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) found about 90 per cent of requests were approved, fully or with changes. Yet one-third of workers still avoid asking to use it, citing the stigma associated with it.

That hesitation says more about workplace culture than policy.

Many managers still equate staff presence with work commitment

Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP) chief executive officer Aslam Sardar said some work leaders struggle to move away from “presenteeism”. That means judging a worker’s effort by time spent in the office rather than by their results.

That leads to micromanagement. Workers reported being checked on frequently when working from home. Some felt they had to prove they were not taking advantage.

A museum employee who cared for a sick parent said a senior manager monitored her closely. And after her parents passed away, expectations from her work tightened. She believed it affected her career prospects.

Managers rated remote workers lower on commitment

A study by National University of Singapore (NUS) assistant professor Wang Senhu and King’s College London researcher Chung Heejung found obvious work bias.

Managers rated remote workers lower on commitment and promotion potential. This was based on a 2022 survey of 473 managers.

The effect was stronger for fathers than for mothers. Fathers who asked for flexibility were seen as breaking the “ideal worker” image of full availability.

The study also found framing matters. When flexible work is seen as a benefit for caregivers, it looks like a special favour. This weakens its professional standing.

When work flexibility becomes a fear of career threat

For some, the career stakes are high. In one case, a father of a child with special needs said he was warned he could be dismissed after working from the hospital during a family crisis. He later changed jobs for more flexibility but now avoids asking for it.

Another senior employee filed a complaint with the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) after her request was rejected. The dispute remains unresolved.

These cases show how quickly flexibility can shift from support to risk.

Worker uncertainty over remote work

Flexible work is no longer a fringe perk. It shapes hiring and retention, as a 2024 MOM survey found 65.4 per cent of workers consider flexibility when choosing jobs. Only salary ranked higher.

One worker even said uncertainty over remote work is holding him back from having another child. This then also links workplace culture directly to birth rates in Singapore.

Some companies adapt faster and don’t struggle with flexible work arrangements

Some employers, however, are adapting more quickly to changes in work-life balance than others.

One marketing head in an investment firm works from home twice a week with full team support. Meetings are planned around her schedule. Her performance is reviewed regularly, with no issues raised.

Another firm offered a part-time permanent role to a returning mother, with benefits and structured hours. This shows flexibility can work when designed well.

Managers need to focus on workers’ results, not their attendance

Experts agree that the next phase is not to add more work rules. It is better to improve the execution of work instead.

Managers need to focus on outcomes, not attendance. Decisions must be transparent. Flexible workers shouldn’t face hidden career threats and costs.

NTUC assistant secretary-general Yeo Wan Ling said policies can guide change. Workplace culture decides if they actually work.

Judge workers by what they deliver, not for where they work from

Flexible work is already here, so the next question is whether companies treat it as normal work practices or a special exception.

If someone meets deadlines, supports the team, and performs well, their work location should no longer matter.

Anything else is just old habits dressed up as effective management.

This article (Singapore employees fear job loss amid higher flexible work approvals) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.