Forum letter writer suggests job sharing instead of job cuts to avoid retrenchment

In a letter to the Straits Times’ Online Forum section, one Daryl Tan suggests that instead of job cuts, companies should look into job sharing.

He wrote: “We should find other ways before job cuts become necessary. Organisations facing severe cost pressures could implement an across-the-board pay cut (for example, cutting pay by 20 per cent) as this allows the firms to ease the impact from the economic downturn while retaining talent and expertise within the organization”.

Mr Tan suggested that another option would be to find creative ways to implement job cuts. He said that companies could implement a three- to four-day work week with job sharing schemes where multiple people share a job and take a portion of the salary.

He explained that while putting in place a job sharing scheme might mean a revamp of many companies, “the retention of talent allows for a quicker rebound when we get past this crisis”.

Not only can people cut up their roles in this manner, Mr Tan added that people could also take up other ad hoc roles in their free time.

“This could ensure that we further spread income and jobs around, and ensure that people continue to remain in the workforce”, Mr Tan wrote.

He added that in order to avoid the societal impact from families losing income from their main breadwinner, people should find other ways before job cuts become necessary.

“Organisations facing severe cost pressures could implement an across-the-board pay cut (for example, cutting pay by 20 per cent) as this allows the firms to ease the impact from the economic downturn while retaining talent and expertise within the organization”, he added.

“Perhaps the authorities could drive this (job sharing) in a bigger way for companies that are considering job cuts, as it is now even more critical to ensure that workers remain in the economy,” Mr Tan wrote.

His full letter can be found here. /TISG