Public servants encouraged to return to the office three days a week

After having worked from home for the better half of the past year, the novelty of not having to go to the office is beginning to wear off for some. 

For public servants who desperately miss working in the office, you’ll be more than happy to know that from Apr 5 onwards, the Singapore government is encouraging public servants who work from home to return to the office for three out of five working days.

However, as it is only a general guideline, the Public Service Division has also stated that officers whose agencies allow them to work from home for more than two days a week can continue to do so, even after Apr 5.

This change came after the Ministry of Health (MOH) announced on Mar 24 that Singapore will be making the switch from working from home by default, to a hybrid working arrangement.

This new work arrangement means that the offices can now have up to 75 per cent of its employees working at the office as compared to the previous 50 per cent.

Split-working arrangements can also be dissolved, although employers can continue to adopt such arrangements if they wish.

Furthermore, employees will no longer have to adhere to a limited amount of time they can spend in the workplace.

The government also encourages staggered working hours where possible, so as to reduce travel on public transport during peak hours.

This loosening of restrictions also means that social and recreational gatherings will be allowed, but must be limited to group sizes of no more than eight persons.