Companies in Singapore are preparing for a partial return to the office as the country is set to ease restrictions imposed to control the spread of the coronavirus. The multi-ministerial task force tackling the COVID-19 pandemic recently announced that working from home would no longer be the default from August 19.
From Thursday, Aug 19, up to 50 per cent of the workforce can return to workplaces, authorities had previously announced. But, most employers expect hybrid working arrangements to be a permanent feature of the post-pandemic world, according to a report by The Straits Times on Wednesday. A majority of the companies are expecting hybrid working arrangements to be a permanent feature of the post-Covid-19 world, While there was some easing of safe management measures from September last year – allowing a portion of workers to return to the office. From Thursday, the gradual opening of workplaces will restart and a number of companies told that they will adjust their hybrid working arrangements, so that 50 per cent of workers can return to the office, while letting individual business units decide how to implement this.
When Singapore was first hit by Covid-19 in 2020, companies were finding it difficult to make hybrid working conditions possible. In September, the government allowed some workers to return to their offices. However, in May this year, the country once again opted for work from home amid a huge increase in infections.
