KUALA LUMPUR, April 22 ― A survey has found that Malaysian workers are less likely to request for flexible working arrangements compared to workers in other Asia-Pacific countries.

The CPA Australia study found that only 44 per cent of 117 respondents in Malaysia requested for flexible working hours compared to 72 per cent of respondents in Australia, based on a survey involving 680 respondents across Asia-Pacific.

CPA Australia chief executive Alex Malley said the relatively low rate of employees engaged in flexible working in Malaysia, and with a relatively low workforce participation rate among women by regional standards, was an opportunity for Malaysia’s business community. 

“Malaysia has made good progress in improving workforce participation rate among women over the past few years with a 6.8 per cent increase since 2010.

However, with a participation rate of just under 55 per cent, there remains a significant opportunity to grow that number,” he said in a statement today.

The survey also found that respondents in Malaysia had a more positive attitude towards flexible working, with 36 per cent believing that it would have a positive impact on the quality of work they perform, compared to only 20 per cent of respondents in Australia and 24 per cent in Hong Kong.

The data also showed that respondents in Malaysia are less likely to believe that flexible working would have a negative impact on their promotion chances (20 per cent) than respondents in Australia (35 per cent) and Hong Kong (31 per cent).

Malley noted that the government’s flexWorkLife.my initiative which helps women to return to work after childbirth also played an important role in making Malaysian workplaces more flexible.

The initiative also assists employers to develop more flexible workplaces by showcasing best practices of flexible work policies and how to implement them.

He added that when the policies are well implemented, employers could reduce their recruiting costs, experience improved productivity, and help to retain staff with vital corporate knowledge and skills as well as to benefit the bottom line.

“Working flexibly is not just good for employees and their families, it is good for the business, the economy and the next generation of Malaysians,” Malley said. ― Bernama