KUALA LUMPUR (April 22): Malaysian workers are less likely than other employees in the Asia-Pacific to request for flexible work arrangements, according to a survey by accounting body CPA Australia.

The survey showed only 44% of respondents in Malaysia had requested for flexible working arrangements, compared to 72% of respondents from Australia.

The survey involved 680 respondents across the Asia-Pacific and 117 respondents in Malaysia.

However, CPA Australia said respondents in Malaysia have a more positive attitude towards working flexibly, with 36% of respondents in the country believing flexible work would have a positive impact on the quality of work they perform, compared with only 20% of respondents from Australia and 24% from Hong Kong.

Malaysians are also more positive on whether flexible work would negatively impact chances of promotion: only 20% of respondents here believe it would negatively impact their promotion chances, compared with 35% of Australian respondents and 31% of Hong Kong respondents.

CPA Australia chief executive Alex Malley said Malaysia’s business community has a major opportunity to increase the capacity of its workforce, given the relatively low rates of employees working flexibly in Malaysia and with a workforce participation rate among women that is low by regional standards.
 
“Malaysia has made good progress in improving workforce participation rates among women over the past few years, with a 6.8% increase in the rate of women participating in the workforce since 2010,” he said.

“However, with a participation rate of just under 55%, there remains a significant opportunity to grow that number,” he added.

He noted that a study from the World Bank suggested Malaysia could achieve a growth dividend of about 0.4% a year, by attaining higher female participation rate in the workforce.

Malley also said the Malaysian government’s flexWorkLife.my initiative has an important role to play in making Malaysian workplaces more flexible, as it will aid women who are returning to work after the birth of a child and assist employers in developing more flexible workplaces by showcasing best practice flexible work policies and how to implement them.

“When flexible work policies are well implemented, employers reduce their recruiting costs, experience improved productivity, and help to retain staff with vital corporate knowledge and skills,” he said.

“In short, flexible work can benefit the bottom line. Working flexibly is not just good for employees and their families — it is good for business, the economy and the next generation of Malaysians,” he added.