Tag: back to the office

We hope everyone had a blessed Good Friday and a well-rested Easter weekend.

It’s time to face reality. For those who haven’t caught up with the news just yet, our government has made known last month of a shift in the style of working.

The co-chair of the COVID-19 multi-ministry task force Lawrence Wong said that instead of working from home as the default, Singapore would welcome a more “flexible and hybrid way” of working.

From tomorrow (5 April) onwards, more employees can return to the workplace and split team arrangements will not be compulsory. Here are some other points to note as we head back to the office from Monday.

#1: Different start times & flexibility in working hours

For those called back to the office, make sure that your boss is aware of the staggered start time requirements.

This is to make sure that there is no crowding at the office entrances or building lobbies before entry. The different start times will also ensure lesser jam-packed buses and trains.

In addition, your employer should be open to varied working hours, and as an employee, you hold the right to split your hours between working from home and clocking hours at the office.

#2: Working from home still recommended

At the moment, only 50% of employees are allowed to return to the workplace. From 5 April, the percentage will increase to 75% instead.

As the virus still lurks in the community, employers are encouraged to allow their employees to work from home as much as possible. Unless certain business operations demand in-person meetings or collaborations, working from home is still recommended.

To that, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) added that companies should continue to keep to online meetings instead. The decision will minimise the number of people exposed at the workplace and avoid overcrowding in areas like the pantry.

#3: Vulnerable employees to be given extra notice

Folks who are 60 years old and above, be sure that your superiors are giving you special attention to lower your transmission risk at the workplace. This also applies to patients who are immunocompromised or suffering from other medical conditions.

If your job position allows you to work from home, then reporting to the office should not take priority. But for those who need to be at the workplace physically, you should be allowed to commute during off-peak periods.

Where necessary, you may also seek redeployment to another role within the company for the time being.

#4: 50’s the limit at work-related events

Work gatherings can only allow up to 50 people to guarantee the low risk of exposure to the virus. Attendees should also keep up with the 1m safe distancing measures when interacting with other individuals.

Sorry to disappoint, but food should not be served unless the occasion calls for it, for example, due to extended periods past lunch hour or dinner time. If there’s a need to provide food, each participant must be served while seated.

Mealtimes should also be watched such that people are masked up immediately after eating.

#5: Huat number 8’s still the limit for social meetings

Please note that work events are different from social meetings. Yes, that farewell lunch for an exceptional colleague is regarded as a “social and recreational gathering”, not a work-related affair. Our tiny red dot is still in the midst of phase 3, and only up to 8 people are allowed to gather.

Even for plans like team bonding, the rule still applies. This is regardless of it being in or out of the workplace’s boundaries. For a refresher, households can only welcome up to eight visitors at any one time as well.

#6: Face masks and disinfectants must be provided

Peeps who’ve already been reporting to the office at alternate weeks or staggered schedules, we understand the pains of wearing a mask the entire workday. Especially those slogging without air-conditioners in humid conditions may find it necessary to change their masks more often.

Your employer should secure enough face masks for everyone in the company. “Where possible, employers should consider improving the working environment for employees to enable them to sustain wearing the masks,” said MOM.

There must also be sufficient handwashing soap and disinfectants such as sprays, cleansing wipes, hand sanitisers, and paper towels.

Final thoughts

For those who don’t have to return to the workplace from tomorrow (5 April), or at least not immediately, good for you if you’re enjoying it! With that said, you may be keen to check out our recently published article on “WFH tips to help you stay motivated”.

Working from home should not be a nightmare. Your boss ought to not take this as a chance to push you past your limits. Set boundaries between work and rest, so the lines are not blurred.

For both employers and employees reading this, you may want to heed the tripartite advisory on mental well-being formed by MOM, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF), together with HR professionals:

Health is wealth, so learn how to work when you need to and take that break when your body needs it.

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Are you already in the office to start the new week? Or have received a work schedule from your employer regarding the days you should physically report for work? While some can’t wait to get their office routine back, many are sitting on the fence after being used to working from home amid the pandemic.

Here are 10 things you need to know if you’re called back to the office from Sep 28.

#1: Employer has the right to ask you back

Even if your job can be done from home, your employer has the right to ask you to return back to the office. However, you should be allowed to work from home for at least half of your working time.

In addition to that, your employer must ensure that not more than 50% of the people who can work from home are in the office at any one time.

Those who are working part-time will keep to a pro-rated system. For example, if you normally work four days a week, you should only be in the office 2 days a week.

#2: Cannot return to the office full-time on the basis of the home being unconducive for work

As we’ve mentioned earlier, if your job can be completed from home, you should be doing so at least for half your working time. You should not return to the office full-time just because home is an unconducive work environment to get your job done.

This is because employers will need to explain the business or operational reasons if their staff are not working from home for the period as advised by the authorities.

#3: Leave days count towards the total number of days you spend working from home

This may be a little tricky to understand so here’s an example to aid us in explaining:

Based on a five-day workweek, you will be allowed to go back to the office for 2.5 days a week. But should you decide to take two days off, your boss can still require you to go back to the office for 2.5 days. With that said, you will spend the remaining 0.5-day working from home.

#4: External meetings and events count towards the number of days you spend in the office

Employees who need to attend to work meetings and events outside the office can count their time as time spent in the workplace.

#5: You may go back to the office for regular meetings

While meetings should be conducted virtually as far as possible amid the pandemic, your boss may ask you to head back to the office for meetings.

Employers can consider a flexible work arrangement for staff to go back to the office only for meetings and work from home for the rest of the day.

#6: Inform your employer if you have a medical condition that has weakened your immune system

You should inform your employer if you’re undergoing a chronic medical condition with a compromised immune system. Your employer should make arrangements to allow you to work from home and provide the necessary IT equipment needed.  If that can’t be done, a temporary redeployment to another role within the company might do the trick.

However, if the above-mentioned arrangements can’t be made, your employer can still ask you to return to the office. But there must be at least 1m of space set between you and your colleagues.

#7: Avoid interacting with colleagues as usual

Heading back to the office doesn’t mean that interaction is back to normal. Keep to these rules at the workplace:

• Wear a mask at all times, unless impossible due to the nature of your work or the work environment.
• Be 1m apart from your colleagues in the office, including at your workstation and during meetings.
• Do not gather in groups larger than the prevailing permitted group size for social gatherings. This includes meal times or smoke breaks.

#8: Only work-related events of up to 50 people can take place in the office

Work-related events include:

• Meetings
• Training sessions
• Townhalls
• Corporate retreats
• Tender briefings to vendors and business conferences
• Onboarding or retrenchment exercises

Celebrations, parties, dinner and dance events, team bonding activities or gala dinners are not considered work-related events under the latest update by the authorities.

Also, food and drinks should not be served at such events where possible. But if absolutely necessary, individuals must be seated and served, with meal durations kept short.

#9: Employers should implement flexible workplace arrangements

Employers should embrace flexible workplace arrangements. For example, stagger start times to avoid crowding. There can also be a shift or split team operations to minimize interactions between different teams. Employees may also consider asking their staff to work from home in the morning but return to the office after lunchtime.

#10: Can I report my employer if rules are not kept to?

Yes, you should do so via the SnapSAFE app. Download the app via the App Store or the Google Play Store.

 

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