Workers to start returning to offices as COVID-19 restrictions ease for workplaces
SINGAPORE: As the COVID-19 situation in Singapore stabilises and with vaccination rates climbing, companies in Singapore are preparing for a partial return to the function with some intending to retain flexible working arrangements.
From Thursday (Aug 19), upward to 50 per cent of the workforce can render to workplaces, authorities had previously announced.
While there was some easing of safety management measures from September final year - allowing a portion of workers to return to the office - Singapore had returned to working from domicile by default from May when rising COVID-nineteen cases triggered tighter restrictions.
Come Thursday, the gradual opening of workplaces will restart and a number of companies told CNA that they volition adjust their hybrid working arrangements.
StarHub employees who take been working from habitation will return to the part twice a week, while continuing to work the other three days at home.
"We believe that the hybrid work model is the way frontward, as it provides our staff with a good balance between flexibility, face-to-face collaboration and interaction, and appropriate rubber distancing safeguards," a spokesperson said.
The Singapore office of Japanese multinational NEC said that currently, 80 per cent of its 700 employees work from home. From Aug nineteen, the visitor will adopt hybrid work arrangements so that 50 per cent of workers can render to the function, while letting individual business units decide how to implement this.
GRADUAL Render
Non all companies are planning an immediate return.
Mastercard said its employees tin render to the role, if they wish to, from Aug 23. They can register the days they wish to go to the function using an internal online tool, which will disallow staff from returning once the daily quota is reached.
"Some of our offices in other countries, depending on the relaxation of safety measures, accept already moved into a hybrid working environment where employees work from role two or 3 days a week.
"Nosotros envision a similar arroyo for our Singapore part as the situation improves," said Mr Shafi Shaikh, head of Mastercard Asia Pacific'due south crisis management team.
PR agency Golin is also taking a gradual arroyo. Employees can choose, until the end of the twelvemonth, to work from dwelling house or return to the office.
"I think that gives the states time to plan for the new yr and how nosotros're going to look at the office going forward," said Mr Darren Burns, Golin president for the Asia Pacific.
"I call up people are used to having that kind of freedom at present, which is slap-up. And so we're starting to call up about what is the future of work and what the part environment means for us."
HYBRID Work MODEL
Mr Burns noted that a "human touch" is preferable for onboarding newcomers, face-to-face meetings are nonetheless better for collaboration and that a flexible, hybrid model would be ideal.
"I retrieve there is a yearning to be social for a lot of people, particularly our younger people in the office. They really want to be in the office every twenty-four hour period or a few times a calendar week to encounter their friends to catch up, have luncheon, all those things that y'all don't have working remotely," he said.
It is not the only firm that is looking into adjusting long-term policies. NEC said that it has set a "Future of Piece of work" job forcefulness to report this.
"It is axiomatic that remote working will form the cadre of a hybrid work surroundings where we need to reimagine our procedure, technology infrastructure and management style to achieve meliorate employee appointment, operation efficiency and business organisation event," said Mr Teh Chong Mien, manager of NEC APAC (Singapore).
Meanwhile, some firms already take flexible working arrangements in identify and these volition go along going forward.
Mr Max Loh, Ernst & Young'south Singapore managing partner, said that while the visitor has been on flexible work arrangements since 2010, the practice was "somewhat accelerated" by the COVID-xix pandemic.
"Moving forward, this hybrid approach to managing where employees work from will remain very much the norm," said Mr Loh.
He said that while workers value the ability to adjust and conform their work schedules, at that place has also been feedback from people, especially new hires, who capeesh in-person coaching and mentoring, besides every bit social interaction. These and other factors, such every bit workspace optimisation, volition be considered in whatever aligning to work configurations.
NO REQUIREMENT TO Be VACCINATED
A survey in March by homo resource consulting business firm Randstad found that seven in x respondents in Singapore wanted to render to the workplace in a post-COVID-19 surroundings. The result mirrors those in other surveys done last year.
A more recent poll this calendar month on the members of EGN, a network of professionals and business organisation leaders, plant that amongst knowledge workers 35.v per cent would be returning to the workplace afterwards Aug 18, while 22.5 per cent would not be. Another 28.3 per cent were unsure and said "maybe".
The survey, which had about 140 respondents, focused on knowledge workers as they are a primary grouping of workers who can work from home.
The survey likewise said that a minor proportion of respondents (8 per cent) had employers who are mandating their staff members be vaccinated before returning to the office. Nearly, or 83.iii per cent, did not face such a requirement.
Singapore'due south vaccination charge per unit - counting people who have received ii doses of the vaccine - was at 76 per cent as of Tuesday.
None of the companies CNA contacted required staff to exist vaccinated before returning to the workplace.
NEC said that it maintains a vaccination condition registry of all employees so information technology tin can deploy them safely.
EY'south Mr Loh said: "At that place will exist no differentiation between vaccinated and not-vaccinated employees in terms of performance evaluation as that is primarily dependent on merit, performance, teaming and contribution to the business concern."
Mastercard's Mr Shafi said that the company is strongly encouraging all employees to get vaccinated every bit shortly as they can and providing them with up to x days of COVID-19 related go out to get vaccinated or nourish to COVID-xix emergencies involving their family members or dependents.
"The pandemic has irrevocably changed their expectations of work. More employees now adopt greater work autonomy and flexibility to choose their work schedule and location," said Ms Jaya Dass, managing director for Randstad Malaysia and Singapore.
"It should not come as a surprise to employers that some workers will expect remote work to continue fifty-fifty later the pandemic and are willing to switch employers if they are not given the choice to exercise their piece of work flexibility."
Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/covid-19-back-office-work-home-wfh-276566
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