SINGAPORE: In a bold stance that echoes a growing global trend, Andrew Tay, the managing director of Goshen Financial, has become a vocal proponent for the return to office work.
Tay, who has been at the helm of the insurance giant since 2022, believes that the traditional office setting is more conducive to productivity, fosters greater interaction among colleagues, and ultimately leads to reduced stress levels.
Tay’s perspective is not isolated. Since the end of Covid-19 lockdowns, he has been encouraging his employees to return to the office full-time, a sentiment that is increasingly shared by global leaders.
Amazon, for instance, has announced its intention to reverse its three-day in-office policy to a five-day mandate starting in January 2025. This move aligns with similar decisions by other major corporations such as Manchester United Football Club, Citigroup, HSBC, and Barclays.
The rationale behind this push for office returns is multifaceted. Bosses argue that there are significant benefits to company culture, collaboration, and creativity when employees are physically present.
A 2024 report by KPMG and cited in a report by The Star found that 83% of global bosses expect a full return to the office within three years, a substantial increase from 64% in 2023.
Singaporean workers prefer flexible work arrangements
In Singapore, the trend is also gaining momentum. Workers are spending an average of 3.7 days in the office in 2024, a half-day increase from the previous year. Moreover, a growing number of employees are warming up to the idea of spending four to five days a week at their desks, with support for this arrangement jumping from 7% in 2022 to 37% in 2024.
However, the transition is not without its challenges. Singaporean employers are lagging behind their international counterparts in meeting employee expectations, particularly among younger workers.
According to Qiu Jianhan, principal for strategy at Unispace, a workplace strategy and design firm, younger employees are more likely to demand spaces to recharge and rest, a need that is not always met in older, rigid office designs.
Despite these challenges, the Singapore government has taken steps to support flexible work arrangements. Tripartite guidelines on flexible work arrangements (FWA) are set to come into effect on December 1, encouraging employers to establish proper processes for handling staff requests.
Flexibility remains key to productivity
The Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) has also launched a step-by-step guide for employers, emphasizing the importance of responding to FWA requests within two months and discouraging dismissive attitudes towards such arrangements.
As the debate continues, experts like Dr. Issac Lim, an organizational sociologist, and Walter Theseira, a labor economist, caution against oversimplifying the relationship between productivity and flexible work. They argue that the focus should be on leveraging technology and FWA to enhance the productivity of local workers, rather than assuming that office hours equate to higher productivity.
While the return to office work is gaining traction, it is clear that the future of work will require a nuanced approach that balances the needs of employers and employees alike.
As Singapore and the world navigate this new landscape, the emphasis on flexibility and understanding will be key to fostering a productive and harmonious work environment.