80% Of Singapore Staff Think Flexibility Is Important When Returning To Workplace
SINGAPORE – In a survey conducted by LinkedIn, more than 80 percent of employees here who are returning to their office believe that flexible work arrangements are crucial to them, reported The Drum on Monday evening (1 November, SGT).
The study also found out that more than 75 percent of the polled business executives acknowledge that providing greater flexibility to their staff is important in positively affecting corporate culture.
Moreover, most staff in Singapore favour a flexible work arrangement, with 59 percent preferring a combination of working at home and in the office. Only 21 percent want to work remotely full-time, while 20 percent favour working from the office full-time.
The ideal flexible working arrangement, or the sweet spot for businesses and staff is 2 days of remote work and 3 days at the office. 37 percent of surveyed staff prefer this arrangement, while 50 percent of the business executives here prefer 3 to 4 days in the office and 1 to 2 days at home.
However, there are also downsides to working from home (WFH). For instance, 49 percent of staff think that the lack of face time with their superiors and senior colleagues directly impedes their career growth, while 45 percent believe there is negative stigma associated with telecommuting.
Still, workers said WFH has its advantages, including better physical and mental health, improved personal relationships, and increased work-life balance. Notably, 40 percent of existing workers have already requested a flexible schedule.
Likewise, 76 percent of business executives deem flexible working arrangements as positive, as it reinforces trust with staff, builds corporate resilience and enhances work-life balance. 56 of them also reported that would-be applicants are actively talking about flexible working policies before signing their employment contract.
However, business executives feel pressured to introduce flexible work arrangements to meet the expectations of staff (67 percent), and to align with the government’s COVID-19 guidelines (53 percent).
