How Malaysian Accountants risk missing out on Flexible Work

Welcome to the latest chatter from The Accounting Parrot Newsletter!

Hi everyone, I'm Samuel David. This time, we're looking at how Singapore and Malaysia view flexible working differently. As a remote working accountant myself, I’ve experienced the benefits and challenges of flexible work arrangements firsthand.

In this edition, we delve into the specific rules and technological factors that differentiate the flexible working landscape in both countries, exploring what this means for us accountants.

Understanding the Rules

Singapore supports various flexible work options like working from home and choosing work hours. These options help professionals, especially as the workforce ages or has caregiving responsibilities.

In contrast, Malaysia is slower to adopt these flexible options. The laws allow for flexible work, but the process is slow, requiring formal requests that employers have two months to answer. This shows Malaysia’s slow move towards modern working styles.

Adding to this challenge, a significant disconnect exists between employer offerings and employee desires. According to Jobstreet, 70% of Malaysian companies prefer their employees to work onsite, despite there being over 200,000 searches for 'Work From Home' on their website. Yet, only 19% of employers provide some form of remote work option.

Even though the Employment Act 1955 sets the rules, it's not the main reason for the few remote jobs for Malaysian accountants. The real issue is how slowly accounting firms in Malaysia adopt new technology.

Technology in Accounting Firms: Malaysia vs. Singapore

The use of technology in accounting firms has a big impact on the ability to work remotely. In Singapore, firms quickly embrace new technologies, making it easy to work from anywhere. This ease is supported by the government and strong internet services, which are important for using cloud based tools that help with flexible working.

On the other hand, in Malaysia, the adoption of new technology in accounting firms is slowed down by concerns about costs and a preference for old fashion ways of working. This makes it hard for firms to use remote working tools, affecting not only how flexible they can be with work arrangements but also how competitive and efficient they are.

There are however a handful of accounting firms in Malaysia that are comfortable adopting technology. This week we would like to share with you guys a cool job from from a Malaysian Technology pro accounting firm.

Cool Accounting Jobs : Remote Management Accountant Position at Elitez & Associates

This week, we're excited to share a cool job for Malaysian accountants who want to work from home. Elitez & Associates is hiring a Remote Management Accountant who can work completely from home. This job is full time and pays between RM 5,000 to RM 7,000 a month.

Why is this job cool? This role offers Malaysian accountants a prime opportunity to start remote working. You’ll handle complete accounting tasks, prepare financial reports, manage GST returns, and coordinate with various stakeholders. You’ll also lead junior staff and use advanced cloud tools—just like in my role at businessDEPOT.

Interested in this opportunity? Click here to learn more and apply

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