Only 32% Of Workers Expected To Return To Office

GLOBAL – A new study claims that only 32 percent of workers are expected to return to their workplace after the COVID-19 pandemic is under control, reported The Straits Times on Monday morning (8 February, SGT).

With this, some businesses are worrying that they would lose their corporate culture as working from home has a negative impact on socialisation and collaboration, said Jaya Dass, Managing Director for Malaysia & Singapore at recruitment agency Randstad.

“Whatever the decision is, it is critical that employers take into account the changing expectations of candidates (would-be employees),” she said.

“It would not be uncommon for candidates to ask if the company allows staff to work remotely during the interview process in the future.”

Still, Singapore Human Resources Institute’s President Low Peck Kem said remote working offers many benefits, like less pollution as fewer people need to commute to work, as well as savings in office rent. But companies will have to find out the most suitable mix between working in the office and at home.

Moreover, the study revealed that nearly 50 percent of the surveyed organisations have assisted their employees in paying one-off expenses related to establishing a work area at home, or recurring costs like higher mobile phone usage.

However, only 23 percent of the polled businesses shared that they may change the way they compensate staff amidst the prevalence of telecommuting, while 11 percent had revised their remuneration packages based on a worker’s location, like reducing pay if a staff relocates to a place with lower cost of living.

The survey, which involved about 1,500 businesses across the globe, was carried out from 7-15 December 2020.