ASEAN governments should consider giving further incentives for expenses incurred by employers in implementing flexible employment arrangements, said Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Abd Muttalib.

He said this was to encourage more companies to adopt flexible employment arrangements.

"Flexible employment arrangements if adopted by ASEAN member states will give workers far greater leeway in terms of the time when they begin and end work, provided they put in the total of hours required by the employer.

"If flexible employment arrangements become even more common in the future, skilled labour which is part and parcel of ASEAN Economic Community integration can be retained," he said in his keynote address for ASEAN Seminar on Balancing Flexibility and Security Labour Market here today.

Ismail said the flexible employment arrangements were expected to become an important element of human resource strategy of companies as work-life balance becomes a rising concern of the workforce especially among the new generation.

"Therefore, it is important for local companies to seriously consider implementing flexible employment arrangements in order to effectively meet their objectives of attracting, motivating and retaining talents, in particular the skilled labours," he said.

Ismail also suggested employers to look at various forms of flexible employment arrangements, including job sharing among employees, working from home, part time work system, compressed work house and flexi time.

A total of 100 participants comprised of representatives from trade unions, employers' organisations and civil society organisations from ASEAN member countries and ASEAN dialogue partners which are China, Japan and South Korea attended the two-day seminar which began today.

It was organised by Human Resources Ministry with the cooperation of ASEAN secretariat and International Labour Organization.