‘WFH with lower salary is better than WFO with higher salary’ — Singaporeans prefer work-from-home or hybrid work for their mental wellbeing

SINGAPORE: When a Reddit user asked whether other Singaporeans are “firm believers” in Work From Home (WFH) arrangements, the vast majority responded with a resounding “Yes.”

One Reddit user wrote in a r/askSingapore post that in the company he works for, employees are still following a policy allowing them to work from home two days a week, which began with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The post author explained that he appreciates this as it allows him to catch up on sleep and household chores. Plus, it’s good for his mood because he gets more sleep, and there is no need to compete with the crowds on their way to work in the mornings.

“I worked on a fast-paced project and can stay home when talking to vendors or colleagues. I do go back to work for operation matters when needed.

For context, I am in public service, so I got lucky with bosses and management that doesn’t micromanage or feel the need to justify the lease of the workplace,” he wrote.

Most commenters heartily agreed with the post author that WFH arrangements work for their good.

In the most upvoted comment, a Reddit user wrote that he would never accept another job that requires people to work at the office full-time, citing the “huge mental wellness benefits” from WFH arrangements.

He also reminded everyone of the days before the Covid pandemic when people needed to take a half-day leave to go to the bank. “I think hybrid is the ideal. It helps a lot to see and talk to your colleagues in a capacity outside of your meetings,” he added.

Another recalled that his first job after graduation was fully WFO (work from office), which he “hated so much” that he would have considered a lower salary if offered a WFH job.

“Unless the pay is much higher, I won’t move to a job with full WFO,” another agreed, adding that hybrid arrangements are the best because they allow employees to maintain good relationships with their colleagues.

The post author commented that a role that does not offer WFH arrangements is a “giant red flag.” Others praised WFH or hybrid work arrangements for their flexibility and opportunities for greater work-life balance./TISG

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