Written by Clare Chong

With the high vaccination rates and a stabilizing COVID-19 situation in Singapore, authorities have announced that up to 50 per cent of the workforce can now return to their workplaces from Aug 19. How do companies and employees respond to being back at the office after nearly 2 years of working remotely?

Concerns about returning to the physical workplace

A study by branding consultancy Wunderman Thompson reported that 74 per cent of respondents were worried about contracting the virus in public spaces. Commuting to and fro work may pose health risks to employees taking public transport and also takes away time and energy better allocated to working from home (WFH). When the management mandates that staff are to report to work physically, it could send a signal to their employees that the company does not care about their health and well-being in the pandemic.

Companies such as DBS and Certis have since pledged to redesign their current offices to encourage collaboration amongst their staff as they return to the workplace. The caveat would be that the physical space and working style should be redesigned accordingly to reflect such a priority. Further, HR policies should also be updated to highlight new working conditions and employees should be surveyed regularly to receive feedback on how they feel about the new model of working.

Is remote working still the preferred choice?

There are some employees who look forward to going back to the office, however. A manager in the software industry said, "When we work at home, we unknowingly work longer hours. It's not healthy and it's bad for psychological health. We are away from social connections when we work from home. It's better to go out and work with people...I'm looking forward to having more human connections and interactions since more people are allowed to go back to the office now."

Although a Straits Times survey conducted multiple times in 2020 revealed high preferences for WFH or flexible work arrangements, challenges of remote working do not go unreported as well. Issues such as mental health problems, feelings of isolation, blurred boundaries, juggling caregiving duties as well as space constraints ranked high as key challenges.

Despite being well-connected virtually, remote workers felt a distinct disconnect in fulfilling their needs for belonging and connection. Virtual communication is typically work-related and functional and staff miss out on ”water-cooler” interactions with colleagues during break times. Employees also dislike being micromanaged with constant surveillance by their management as their physical absence triggers mistrust in their work productivity. Newcomers would also lose out on the chance to fully understand the organisational culture or cultivate good co-working relationships.

How some companies are adopting Hybrid Models

A full return to the workplace, or a remote working environment both have their share of woes, perhaps a hybrid model that combines office-based and WFH arrangements could be the answer to the future of work. Such a model would fulfil the need for positive interactions with co-workers while catering to the preferences of a flexible work policy.

Companies such as Golin, NEC, Ernst & Young and Dentons Rodyk are already taking active steps to incorporate flexible work policies for their staff. Golin allows their employees to choose whether to work from home or return to the office until the end of the year, citing a gradual approach to incorporate face to face meetings for better collaboration, especially for newcomers.

NEC has also set up a “Future of Work” task force to study how to adjust their long-term work policies. Ernst & Young currently allows their workers to adjust their own work schedules and is also responding to new hires who may prefer physical mentoring and more social interaction. Dentons Rodyk plans to give their staff a fixed number of WFH days every week with flexible reporting times while considering making social activities compulsory with a “buddy” system and engaging a professional counselling agency to support their workers’ mental wellbeing.

Sodexo, a food and facilities management firm is also helping organisations implement return to work incentives. They said that companies are trying different ways to support staff engagement. Such incentives include basic perks like complimentary meals and snacks to elaborate ones such as baristas once a week in the office.

Varying preferences for employees?

Companies need to recognise and implement flexible policies that cater to both remote working and working from the office as younger staff or caregivers would lean towards such hybrid arrangements. Having such options would also become one of the key factors in retaining and attracting talents.

Perhaps what we currently need is more than just knowing how frequently we have to return to the office - but a culture of openness, trust and flexibility.

What are your thoughts about this? Would flexible work arrangements be a key factor when you search for employment?