WFH remains default arrangement in Singapore

Despite the easing of social restrictions in Singapore, companies should continue to ensure their employees work from home, whenever possible.
By: | July 8, 2021
Topics: Compliance | Employee Experience | Health and Wellness | Hybrid Working | News | Singapore

To reduce overall interaction within workplaces and on public transport, work from home (WFH) will remain as the default arrangement in Singapore, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has announced.

Employers are encouraged to continue to stagger the start times of employees who need to return to the workplace, while flexible working hours should continue to be implemented, MOH added.

This announcement came as Singapore continues to ease social restrictions that were previously put in place to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Beginning July 12, groups of up to five can dine out, up from the current limit of two.

This means that social gatherings at the workplace can also resume, subject to the five-person limit. “Effectively, we are going up to five persons across the board, and that will apply on July 12,” said Lawrence Wong, Singapore’s Finance Minister and co-chair of the country’s COVID-19 multi-ministerial taskforce.

READ: Singapore maintains WFH as default arrangement, extends jobs support

People who are fully vaccinated may also be allowed to gather in groups of up to eight, suggested Health Minister Ong Ye Kung. These measures could conceivably be implemented when 50% of Singapore’s population is fully vaccinated, as expected, by end-July.