PETALING JAYA: Even as flexible working arrangements become increasingly popular among Malaysians, many say such arrangements are only a second priority to having a steady income and job.

A 28-year-old insurance agent, who only wanted to be known as Abu, said he would not risk losing his job if he was required to return to the office more frequently.

“Jobs are hard to come by nowadays, so I would rather keep the stable one I have now than some freedom to arrange my weekly routine,” said Abu, who graduated with an accounting degree.

Currently, he only needs to go to the office once a week but does not mind coming in four times a week, at most.

“I would use those four days in office to settle workload that requires physical access and the last day to settle administration duties from home,” he added.

Engineer Eugene Teo, 25, shared a similar view.

He found the job market overly competitive due to a constant stream of fresh graduates while new job opportunities are few and far between.

“Ideally, I would like to spend fewer days in the office. However, more days in office will also help me to be productive and not get distracted like when I work from home. A task-oriented system for working from home (WFH) instead of a time-oriented system in the office would be much better at motivating me to complete my tasks efficiently.

“This will be far better than trying to find ways to kill time in the office once I have completed my duties,” said Teo, who currently works 10-hour shifts, three to four times a week.

On the other hand, business development consultant Timothy Chan, 27, said he would consider switching jobs if he was to lose his flexible working arrangement.

“As I don’t own a car, it would cost me a fortune if I have to travel to work every day.

“I live far from the office and it is not accessible by public transport. The roads heading to the office are always jammed.

“It doesn’t make sense for me to stay in a job if half my salary goes to paying for transport, especially due to the rising cost of living,” he said.

Currently, Chan is required to be in office once a week.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/05/07/wfh-secondary-to-job-security-young-workers-say