Chong Kee Hiong, the MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, said that employers who bar their full-time employees from taking up second jobs should change.
On September 1, Chong presented his proposal in Parliament, saying that employees should be allowed to take up two jobs for “better job security”.
He added that this should be subject to labour regulations to “protect workers from overwork and also to regulate the potential conflict of interests”.
Chong also said that workers could “learn and apply new skills to pursue an additional vocation within the same company or in a second job”.
Explaining his proposal, he said that such a practice would allow workers to develop a wider set of skills allowing for “more flexibility in career switches within a shorter window of time”.
Citing the F&B sector as an example, he said that its badly hit but supermarkets and grocers saw a rise in sales as people are still eating, although they are doing so at home.
He suggested that diversified businesses could try their hand at this arrangement first, having their employees take on “dual roles in their different companies”, adding that the employees’ pay shouldn’t be affected in this arrangement.
Chong said that although this thinking may “seem out-of-the-box”, Singaporeans who possess multiple skill sets should be recognised, and that these people would be able to contribute at a “higher level within the same company” or opt for a second job to diversify their income sources.
He did however acknowledge that his idea may not work for all jobs (or people), explaining that he is suggesting companies and workers who are willing to try to be allowed to do so.
He also added that the government could maybe incentivise the companies to adopt this approach.