Remote Working To Become Mainstream, Says MOM

SINGAPORE – Ministry of Manpower (MOM) expects work-from-home (WFH) arrangements to become “a more mainstream option” in the city-state, reported Human Resources Online on Wednesday morning (12 January, SGT).

But while the majority of employers in Singapore said that they would permit their employees to continue to telecommute for at least 25 percent of their work time, MOM stated that it does not intend to hastily introduce laws that would mandate a work arrangement that would create workplace rigidity and hamper economic recovery.

The government agency revealed that in 2020, 75 percent of Singapore staff worked in companies that allowed some form of remote working. However, the number of hours spent on telecommuting itself would vary depending on the requirements of workers and businesses, which MOM does not track.

The agency said this in response to Parliamentary questions whether WFH would become a permanent feature in Singapore and whether MOM will introduce WFH legislations.

Meanwhile, real estate consultancy Edmund Tie thinks that Singapore’s office market could perform well this year, reported The Edge on Tuesday afternoon (11 January, SGT).

“The office sector has the potential to shine in 2022, as institutional investors ride on the expected market recovery,” said Lam Chern Woon, Senior Director for Research and Consulting at Edmund Tie.

“Technology and coworking space operators continue to drive the demand due to the keen interest in expanding their office space. Furthermore, the tight office supply will support occupancy and rents. We see the Grade A sector leading the rent recovery going into 2022.”