Reduce unemployment

Shin Min and Sunday Times have covered my suggestion, posted in this blog, to promote flexible work by paying an hourly rate (instead of a monthly salary)

The key thrust of my proposal is to create employment for school leavers and for people who lose their jobs due to restructuring and other reasons beyond their control.

If a company employs 1,000 people working 40 hours a week, they can employ an additional 100 people, if each person works 36 hours a week. A person working less hours will earn less based on the hourly rate, but at least more people can be employed. This is fairer than having 10% of the people being jobless.

Working 36 hours a week means more time for the family, for hobbies, for continuing education and for leisure. Those who wish to have a supplementary income can continue to have part time work, e.g. provide tuition or other service. It diversifies their sources of income, and will not affect them badly if they should get retrenched.

Under the hourly rate system, there is no need for people to work longer hours, without overtime pay, just to impress the employer and keep their full time job.

There is a need to ensure that the hourly rate of pay provides long term security for employees. I shall address this point in a separate article.

Tan Kin Lian