Singapore: Are Singaporeans prepared for remote work?
With a flurry of changes the pandemic has caused, businesses have been forced to set up remote work arrangements without well-planned preparations. A year into living in the pandemic in Singapore, most businesses have adapted to hybrid working arrangements as the restrictions to go back to office ease up.
There is a general consensus across the population that telecommuting will be the way of the world sooner than we think, as job portals continue to churn out long lists of new jobs that are now designed for remote work. However, the lack of preparation and planning before remote work had to be effectuated has proven to be a struggle for many Singaporeans.
In a survey conducted by the National University Health System’s Mind Science Centre, 61% out of 1,407 respondents reported feeling stressed at home. This opens up to reasons such as tension from living round the clock with family or not having an ideal working environment at home.
Not only within employees’ personal predicament, but tensions between employers and employees also exist. Telecommuting is largely linked to the idea of “taking time off”, and some employers can face the struggle of trusting employees to stay motivated and efficient. But given the current climate of the pandemic, employers have to learn to manage their perceptions and also exercise compassion towards employees who have a poorer work environment at home.
In this economic recession, flexible work from home arrangements can bring about a lot of cost-saving benefits for employers. Although not all jobs can be done from home, this pandemic has reshaped many attitudes towards telecommuting, and it is expected that there will be a gradual migration towards hybrid work in the future.
Even then, the traditional way of working in the office will never be completely eroded, since there are still a significant number of employees who prefer going to the office. Direct interactions, greater productivity and stronger focus are some reasons for their preference. After all, technology will never fully replace the human touch.
As Singapore moves towards a COVID19 free zone, employers can take this time to rethink their business plans after the pandemic. With more employees embracing the idea of telecommuting, this is a new reality that the population will have to adapt to sooner or later.
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This article is written with reference from:
Sin, Y. (2021, January 1). Telecommuting amid Covid-19 pandemic paves way for new workplace culture. Retrieved June 21, 2021, from The Straits Times website: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/work-from-home-arrangements-could-pave-way-for-new-workplace-standards
Tang See Kit. (2020, May 25). Goodbye office: Is the future of work in our homes? Retrieved June 21, 2021, from CNA website: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/goodbye-office-work-from-home-future-covid-19-12758558
