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SINGAPORE – The multi-ministries working group for COVID-19 has announced that more employees can return to their workplaces starting Monday (September 28), while also allowing them to take on work-related events in offices. .
While working from home remains the default mode of work, workers will have more leeway to return to their workplaces, provided they meet the updated requirements for safe management measures.
A: Working from home remains the default work mode during this COVID-19 period. However, companies can allow their employees to return to their workplaces for no more than half of their working time. This should be calculated over a period of time not to exceed four weeks.
For example, if you work five days a week, you can return to your office and work for a maximum of 2.5 days, subject to approval from your employer.
A: No, employers can direct employees to return to the office. However, they are encouraged to ensure that work-from-home arrangements continue to be in place to allow employees to maintain work-life balance while still meeting business needs.
Businesses should also continue to hold virtual meetings as much as possible. They should also pay special attention to vulnerable employees (people 60 years of age and older and patients who have weakened immune systems or have concurrent medical conditions). This could be done by allowing them to work from home or by temporarily reassigning them to another role within the company.
A: No, companies must ensure that no more than half of their employees are in the workplace at any one time.
For example, if a company has 10 full-time employees, it can only have five of them in the office on any one day. Alternatively, if the company wants to allow all of its employees to return to the office, it can divide the 10 employees into two teams of five and have each team enter the office on alternate weeks.
A: Companies must continue to guarantee a free space of at least one meter between each employee.
They should demarcate safe physical distances between all people in meeting rooms, work areas and workstations, as well as during work-related events that take place in the workplace.
Employers should ensure good safe management measures in the workplace, such as controlling access to the workplace and cleaning common spaces regularly.
Employees must do their part to adhere to such measures and wear face masks at all times in the workplace.
A: There are several steps companies can take to help minimize overcrowding in common spaces such as public transportation.
They can implement flexible working hours, so that their employees can work partly at home and partly at the workplace, so they can travel outside of peak periods.
For example, employers can tell their employees to work in the office from 10 a.m. M. At 4 p. M. (avoiding rush hours in the morning and afternoon), or from 1 p. M. At 5 p. M. (Avoiding rush hours in the morning). They can also tell employees to come to the workplace only for meetings and to work from home the rest of the time.
They can also stagger their employees’ reporting hours so that half of them start work later, for example at 10 a.m.
A: Yes, split teams or shift arrangements should continue to be implemented, with each team restricted to one workplace when possible. Employers must also ensure a clear separation of employees into different teams or shifts.
A: Yes, but it must be done within the premises of the workplace. Business-oriented events, such as conferences, seminars, corporate retreats, annual general meetings, and extraordinary general meetings, can resume for up to 50 people (or less, depending on the location).
These events must strictly observe safe management measures, such as ensuring at least one meter of safe distance between employees.
Please note that outside work-related events are not yet allowed at this time.
A: No, employers should not organize or encourage large-scale social gatherings inside or outside the workplace, such as parties, celebrations, team building activities, dinner and dance events, and gala dinners.
A: Yes, the SnapSAFE app can be used to report any non-compliance with the workplace requirements.
Employers should be aware that failure to comply with safe management measures can result in penalties such as suspension of on-site operations, fines, and withholding of payments for government support and grant plans. The most serious infractions can result in prosecution.
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