By Jalelah Abu Baker

OFFERING employees more flexibility in the way they work could keep them smiling and a company afloat during the current downturn.

A tool kit to help companies do just that was yesterday launched by Singapore's Employer Alliance. Established in 2001, the alliance is a network of corporations which advises on establishing happy working environments.

Giving employees the freedom to work from home, grandparenting leave for older workers, and educational assistance for those who want to continue learning were among the numerous ways identified by the director of work-life at the alliance, Ms Yeo Miu Ean.

She said that such incentives help to save company costs, such as paying overtime, a bonus in these recession-hit times.

One company that has managed to infuse flexibility into its culture is childcare centre group Cherie Hearts. Last August, the company introduced a work-from-home scheme for staff at its HarbourFront headquarters, allowing employees to spend more time with their families.

Its annual turnover rate of 1.8 per cent is surprisingly low for an organisation in the early childhood education industry, said Ms Imeelia Ismail, the senior vice-president for corporate development at Cherie Hearts.

However, a Ministry of Manpower survey conducted last year showed that only about 27.5per cent of almost 3,000 private and public organisations adopted flexible working arrangements.

Of the figures, Ms Claire Chiang, chairman of the Employer Alliance, said many companies practise flexibility at the workplace without formally articulating it in policies. Nevertheless, to encourage more companies to do so, the alliance is conducting research on how best to pay those who work flexible hours.

'When bosses know who pays what to whom for what purpose and for how long, they may be more willing to formalise benefits and arrangements.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times.