RESOURCES
MEDIA
26 Sep 2024 | Lina Chan Commentary: I took a sabbatical to care for my dyslexic child. It’s made me hopeful about new norms for flexible work "Amid pressing social issues such as an ageing population and growing risks to mental well-being, Singaporeans face increasingly diverse caregiving challenges. As expectations for flexible work arrangements become the norm, says this working mum, bosses and workers need to work together to create a more supportive workplace for all." Image source: Nuria Ling/TODAY
19 Sep 2024 | Richard Partington The great divide: are office workers more productive than those at home? "Amazon has told staff they must return five days a week – but experts don’t all agree that flexible working cuts output. Four years ago when the world of work was upended by the Covid pandemic, confident predictions were made that a permanent shift in remote working would follow the removal of lockdown restrictions. Much has clearly changed since. Some of the earliest preachers of the brave new teleworking world – including the US tech companies Google and Microsoft – are among the most vocal to repent." Image source: Mark Lennihan/AP
12 July 2024 | Lauren Aratani ‘The new normal’: work from home is here to stay, US data shows "The same percentage of employed people who worked remotely in 2023 is the same as the previous year, a survey found. Don’t call it work from home any more, just call it work. According to new data, what once seemed like a pandemic necessity has become the new norm for many Americans." Image source: ArtistGNDphotography/Getty Images
26 June 2024 | Junie Foo Can flexi-work help close the gender gap in caregiving? "FWAs will enable more women to juggle domestic duties and paid work. But it opens up a role for men as part-time caregivers, too, and might just be the nudge to help break down the age-old stereotype of women as the sole caregivers." Image source: Gin Tay.
27 May 2024 | Isabelle Liew HDB to offer new open-concept ‘white flats’ in Kallang-Whampoa "SINGAPORE – Home seekers will soon have the option of a new type of Housing Board flat without partitions and beams, which creates an open-concept living and bedroom space. These “white flats” will be piloted in a Build-To-Order (BTO) project in Kallang-Whampoa that will be launched in October, said National Development Minister Desmond Lee on May 27. HDB said on May 27 that this layout offers home owners a white canvas so they can design and personalise the flat based on their needs and preferences." Photo illustration: HDB
20 May 2024 | Deborah Lau The Big Read: Singaporeans lack hunger, can't compete because they want more work-life balance? Not true and here's why "For new mother Nur Sabrina Muhleseddin, being able to enjoy work-life balance is something she values in a job, as it allows her to be present for her son’s milestones. The 29-year-old digital marketing manager said her priorities have shifted since she gave birth in July last year. She was working in a different company previously, but had sought out a new role four months after becoming a mother." Image source: TODAY.
29 April 2024 | CNA Podcasts Work It Podcast: Is flexible work shaping the office of the future? "With new guidelines for flexible work arrangement requests kicking in by the end of the year, how can living and working spaces change to make hybrid work more accessible for all? Associate Professor Lilian Chee from the National University of Singapore and Associate Professor Ada Wong from the Singapore University of Social Sciences share their research." Image source: CNA Work It.
22 Aug 2023 | Lauren Aratani ‘‘The office is for socializing’: how work from home has revolutionized work "The work from home backlash is in full swing. In what seemed like an oxymoron brought to life, the video conferencing company Zoom has asked employees to return to the office. Amazon is reportedly tracking employees to make sure they are at their desks. The two companies are just the latest to sour on work from home (WFH), but does this mean the impending end of WFH as we know it?" Image source: JGI/Jamie Grill/Getty Images/Tetra images RF
23 April 2024 | Davina Tham Ensuring local workers stay competitive is key to normalising flexi-work: Gan Siow Huang “Mixed workforces of local and overseas staff are already a natural part of Singapore's economy and will be part of the future of work, say tripartite partners. Local workers must have in-demand skills and be able to meet business productivity needs, while staying competitive in terms of work ethic or 'the softer things, like being reliable, trusted', which are attributes businesses appreciate." Image source: CNA.
23 April 2024 | Louisa Tang 1 in 2 workers in Singapore will quit their job if asked to be in office more often: Survey "Half of Singapore workers said in a Randstad survey late last year that they would leave jobs requiring them to work in the office more often, with Gen Z employees most likely to feel this way. More respondents prioritised work-life balance over salary, even as inflation and the rising cost of living continue to be of concern, signalling a shift of ideal working conditions for the next generation."
17 April 2024 | Tay Hong Yi All employers in Singapore must fairly consider flexi-work requests from Dec 1 under new rules "All employers in Singapore must fairly consider formal requests from employees for flexible work arrangements (FWAs) from Dec 1, 2024, under the new Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests. The compulsory guidelines were unveiled on April 15 during a company visit to the Ridout Tea Garden outlet of fast-food chain McDonald’s attended by the three co-chairs of the tripartite workgroup that had worked on them since September 2023." Image source: The Straits Times.
16 April 2024 | Renald Loh All employees can ask for flexi-work arrangements from December: 5 key takeaways from new guidelines "A set of new Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests stipulate that all firms should set up a process for employees to submit a formal request for flexible work arrangements, and also outline how the request will be handled. The aim of the guidelines is to establish a harmonious workplace norm where employees feel comfortable requesting for FWAs, and employers can evaluate requests and work out arrangements that meet both parties’ needs." Image source: TODAY.
30 October 2023 | Timothy Goh More than 7 in 10 S’poreans prefer remote work, higher than global average: IMF economists "A 2022 report by professional services firm PwC said that 73 per cent of Singaporean workers indicated a strong preference for a hybrid work model in the next 12 months starting from June 2022. This is substantially higher than the global average of 63 per cent. This trend in Singapore is not as heavily driven by education or gender, unlike its global peers, but rather, it is influenced by factors such as age, perceived productivity and the specific sectors in which workers are employed." Image source: The Straits Times.
30 October 2023 | Timothy Goh More demand for S’pore’s co-working spaces as hybrid work arrangements flourish "We can realistically expect co-working spaces to continue growing at about 4 per cent to 6 per cent in 2024, at a similar pace as in 2021 to 2023. Start-ups with limited resources and smaller headcounts are among those flocking to such workspaces due to the flexibility and convenience that they offer."
29 August 2023 | Krist Boo Most S’pore workers returning to office; HR reskilling urged “Some experts say that instead of organisations obsessing over the ‘golden number of days’ expected in the office, they should focus on reskilling managers to lead teams in the new environment, as the old thinking that time in the office is a reflection of dedication and competence is no longer valid. Pay and career opportunities play a part, but recruiters insisting on face time in the office are likely to draw fewer applications than those offering hybrid or remote work." Image source: Cushman & Wakefield.
21 August 2023 | Chong Sin Hui What work-life balance means for women "In 2021, a survey of 117 Singaporean employees over 10 working days found that working mothers, but not fathers or those without children, experienced greater family-to-work interference on days when they worked from home. When that happened, it evoked rude treatment from their co-workers. In fact, it is common for employees who are going through life transitions to feel worried and guilty for placing their careers on the back burner because our society traditionally emphasises the prioritising of collective company goals over individual interests." Image source: The Straits Times.
23 August 2023 | Matthew Boyle More than a third of office desks globally sit empty all week long “Over a third of desks in offices around the globe are unoccupied all week, according to a new report, raising questions on how well workplaces are currently designed as firms struggle to get employees back into them. Companies just need less of them now that people do the majority of their focus work at home. Companies should either redeploy that desk space for better workplace experiences or pocket the savings, but they can’t ignore the waste that’s going on."
20 June 2022 | Megan Cheah 4 in 10 Singapore workers would give up bigger bonus for remote working: Survey "Employers that intend to make hybrid work a permanent feature of their workforce culture after the pandemic should also start to roll out policies as soon as they can to retain their workforce.” Image source: The Straits Times.
9 October 2022 | Kwok Tian Long & Sing Tien Foo Commentary: When Singapore homes become workspaces – huge changes in the house and beyond "Big changes in the home, residential estates and the Central Business District are underway. As Singapore residents spend more time at home, it is likely to see more Singaporeans investing to make their homes work-friendly. Neighbourhood shops will also see a bigger boost in demand. Big brand names, cafes and dining concepts may find residential estates more attractive locations for a second outlet. With more firms relooking their WFH policy and reviewing the need for big office spaces in the CBD since the pandemic, a decentralisation could accelerate its reconfiguration from a predominantly business and financial district to a more integrated work-live-play place."
7 June 2022 | South China Morning Post Life in Hong Kong's shoebox housing “Behind Hong Kong’s glittery facade is a poor underbelly where more than 220,000 people live in cramped subdivided flats, bed spaces and cage homes. Hong Kong, a bustling city of nearly 7.5 million, is famous for its expensive property market, considered the least affordable in the world. For some 220,000 people, home is in the city’s more than 110,000 subdivided units. These shoebox dwellings — units created out of existing ats, usually in old tenement buildings - are well known for their poor, cramped conditions.” Image source: South China Morning Post.
12 May 2022 | Max Zimmerman The Japanese Home Design That Strikes a Work-Life Balance "The city of Kyoto is known for its stock of unique historical structures called Machiya. These beautiful wooden townhouses, which mingle residences with storefronts and workshops, offer a rare window into traditional Japanese life and architecture. Despite economic and cultural headwinds, machiya have proven capable of adapting to the present — and even influencing homes in the future. An influx of tourists before Covid-19 saw many machiya find renewed purpose as restaurants or vacation rentals, while their mixed-use design provides lessons for people adjusting their lifestyles to working at home during the pandemic."
11 June 2020 | Elizabeth Yuko What Happened When the Office Came Home "Since coronavirus lockdowns forced workers to take their jobs home, the home office has once again become a much-coveted feature of modern living. The most coveted amenity of the post-pandemic home may be an extravagant variation on the home office: the double or even triple office, with two or more separate workspaces within a household, so that spouses and kids can all get through their respective working and schooling days with less friction. Probably over the next two to 10 years there’ll be a continual evolution of how we think about the home office versus the central office.”
11 October 2019 | Alex Anderson Domestic Orbits: Frida Escobedo on architecture’s tendency to conceal spaces of domestic labor "How can architectural interventions help recognize, reduce, and redistribute the problems faced by domestic workers? - Frida Escobar who, together with Xavier Nueno, seeks to highlight ways in which iconic Mexican architects had erased the spaces of domestic labor.”