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More people will be allowed to return to the office next Monday, but employers are not rushing back.
Several companies, from banks to startups, told The Straits Times that their workers will only return to the office, given that working from home remains the default mode amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Companies are now used to telecommuting, a trend that Institute for Human Resource Professionals CEO Mayank Parekh said is here to stay.
He cited a survey conducted by software company EngageRocket during the circuit breaker period, in which more than 80 percent of respondents said they saw themselves working from home more than half the time.
“Concerns about productivity and performance are decreasing, with more than 70 percent of respondents reporting that it took the same or less time to reach the same level of productivity as before Covid-19,” he added.
The government announced Wednesday that more staff would be allowed to return to their workplaces as Singapore cautiously reopens the economy amid the pandemic.
But employers must ensure safe management measures in the workplace and have flexible working hours, as well as staggered reporting times, among other things.
Graphic designer Jerome Koh, 30, said his bosses haven’t told him if he needs to go back to the office, but that he would like to have a choice. “I’ve gotten used to working from home and, although I miss my colleagues, there are days when I feel more productive in the quiet of my home,” he said.
However, the nature of the job is a factor that determines whether staying home is still an option.
OE Manufacturing CEO James Wong said “almost all” of his staff have returned to work due to the need to operate heavy machinery.
Ms Jacqueline Ye, co-founder of Delegate, a firm that helps people plan events find venues and vendors like food vendors, said she has “adapted to working remotely quite easily.”
Still, he hopes to bring the staff back to the office to develop team spirit and cultivate a sense of belonging.
“We are looking to get our team back to work slowly from the office, starting next month,” he said.
“We will stagger our teams and we will only have three or four people in the office at a time.”
United Overseas Bank (UOB) group human resources director Dean Tong said that about half of the bank’s staff have returned to work in offices and branches. UOB is “testing scenarios where more people will be able to work remotely,” said Mr. Tong.
OCBC Bank Group Corporate Security Director Francisco John Celio said: “The bank does not have a target percentage rate of how many employees should work in the office.”
He added: “We will continue to take a phased approach to have more staff on site to safely support increased economic activities.”
DBS Bank has been moving “small groups of employees in critical banking functions back to the office” since the first phase of Singapore’s reopening began, a bank spokesman said.
More employees are expected to return to the office gradually over the next few months, the spokesperson added.
Currently, about 70 percent of its local workforce works from home, up from 80 percent during the outage period.
Standard Chartered Bank said teams across the institution are beginning to phase work hours progressively, among other measures. “We will not hesitate to step up measures when necessary,” he said in a statement, adding that those who work in the office represent about 25 percent of the staff.
Singapore Business Federation Executive Director Ho Meng Kit said members should adhere to proper safe management measures, while Singapore Manufacturing Federation President Douglas Foo called on everyone to proceed with caution.
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