Kuala lumpur: A persistent misconception circulating in many boardrooms across Malaysia is that flexible working arrangements (FWAs) amount to 'working less' or, worse still, provide employees with a licence to run personal errands during office hours. According to BERNAMA News Agency, the reality on the ground tells a very different story. 'As a leading recruitment and HR solutions provider in the Asia-Pacific region, we have had a lot of conversations regarding FWAs with our clients. What we have learned over the past seven years is this - FWAs are not a blanket 'work from home' policy,' he said, adding that even PERSOL Malaysia has been offering flexible working options since 2018. When implemented well, FWAs are a structured, intentional business strategy that makes organisations more resilient, cost-efficient and attractive to talent, he told Bernama in an interview here recently. 'In our company, flexibility has been part of our operating reality even before the COVID-19 pandemic forced organisations worldwide to rethink how work gets done.' MOVING BEYOND MISCONCEPTION Flexible working arrangement is an umbrella term for any work setup that diverges from the traditional 9-to-5, full-time, in-office routine. The term is used extensively by human resources, labour laws and corporate policies worldwide. FWAs can generally be categorised as flexi-time, which allows employees to choose when they work within agreed parameters; and flexi-place, which gives them the freedom to choose where they work, whether from home, another remote location, or through a hybrid arrangement that combines time in the office with remote working. Malaysia, meanwhile, is adopting a new hybrid work arrangement, where civil servants can work from home or an approved location two days a week while remaining in the office for the other three days. On June 26, the Public Service Department announced that the Cabinet has approved the hybrid working days (HWD) as a new norm in the civil service, effective Aug 1. Sim said much of the ap prehension surrounding FWAs stems from a lack of clarity about the concept, pointing out that flexibility is still narrowly interpreted as working from home (WFH). 'In practice, effective FWA frameworks are far more nuanced. There are flexi-hours that allow staggered start and end times; flexi-workplace, comprising either hybrid or remote work, depending on job suitability; and flexi roles with alternative models such as part-time, contract, project-based or freelance arrangements,' he said. He cautioned against applying a one-size-fits-all solution, as flexibility is not about giving everyone the same arrangement but about aligning work structure with role requirements and business realities. 'PERSOL Malaysia's own journey reflects how thinking around flexibility has evolved. When we first introduced flexi-hours, it was positioned as a reward for certain high performers. Over time, and especially during and after the pandemic, it became clear that flexibility needed to be embedded into the way we operate, r ather than treated as a privilege,' he said. Since formally strengthening its FWA policies in 2020, PERSOL Malaysia's employee retention improved by more than 30 percent. 'For organisations, the cost of replacing experienced employees can be significant, often estimated at 1.5 to two times the annual salary when factoring in recruitment, training and lost productivity. In this context, flexibility is not a 'soft' benefit; it is a financially sound decision,' stressed Sim. Hybrid work also allowed PERSOL Malaysia to rethink its physical footprint, and it transitioned from a larger office of over 12,000 square feet to a smaller right-sized space at Menara AIA Sentral here. 'The result was lower rental, utility and maintenance costs - resources that can instead be reinvested into technology, learning and capability development,' he said. Sim added that PERSOL Malaysia's FWA journey, which started as a modest flexi-hours initiative before the COVID-19 pandemic and evolved into a fully embedded workforce strate gy, has reinforced one simple truth: 'When people are given clarity, trust and flexibility, they don't disengage. They step up, take ownership and deliver,' he said. For most organisations, the push towards WFH arrangements was in response to external pressures during the pandemic, but not for People Potential, a Kuala Lumpur-based learning and development consultancy. Its chief executive officer Terry Netto described it as a model that has already been tested, refined and embedded over time, adding that his firm began by operating on a remote-first model in 2020, with flexibility built into its structure and culture. 'WFH, for us, is not an initiative. it is an operating model. The question is not whether our employees are at home or in the office but whether the work is done well, wherever they are,' he told Bernama in an interview recently. A key feature of the firm's approach is its structured flexibility around time. He said People Potential's daily core hours are from 10 am to noon, and 2.30 pm to 5. 30 pm, amounting to 25 core hours each work week, where teams are expected to be available for collaboration, meetings and client work. 'The core hours are where the organisation comes together. That is when conversations happen and decisions are made,' Netto explained, while the remaining 15 hours of the work week are managed through what the firm terms 'microshifting'. MICROSHIFTING 'This is where individuals take ownership of how and when they complete their work, whether it is earlier in the morning, later in the evening or in shorter blocks across the day,' he said. He said this structure provides both coordination and autonomy, allowing employees to work flexibly without losing sight of shared goals and priorities. 'Pure flexibility without structure can lead to a drop in results, while pure structure without flexibility (a common practice in Malaysia) reduces engagement. The combination of core hours and microshifting allows us to maintain both (structure and flexibility),' he added. Netto emphasis ed that such an approach requires employers to set clear expectations, while employees must demonstrate a strong sense of accountability. 'Microshifting only works when people are clear about their deliverables and disciplined about their time. You have to hire people who are conscientious about their work. On top of this, you (companies) have to have a good digital infrastructure to track projects and tasks,' he said. Netto also stressed that managers play a critical role in making this system effective, particularly in setting expectations and maintaining team cohesion. 'Managers need to be clear on priorities, timelines and standards. At the same time, they need to respect that work often happens outside of conventional hours,' he said, cautioning that the (flexible working) system is not for managers who want tight control over staff movements or cannot instil accountability in their staff. Still, Netto does believe that structured flexibility attracts and retains talent. 'All of our full-time trainers hired since the pandemic have either a Master's or a PhD degree, with no turnover yet. Flexibility is most effective when it is designed properly. Core hours provide the anchor and microshifting provides the freedom. Together, they allow people to work in ways that are both coordinated and sustainable,' he said.