Returning to office - bosses and workers look for sweet spot in rules

Firms appear to be redefining policies and processes even as inertia of not returning lingers

- Sharon Salim

Are companies using tracking systems to keep tabs on how much time employees spend in the office? Is in-office attendance tied to one's work performance? Can employees get into trouble for refusing to return to the office?

The answers to these questions still appear muddy against the backdrop of companies trying to nudge employees to return to the office, citing better collaboration and connection with colleagues compared with working remotely.

It appears that companies are trying to redefine their policies and processes, said Ms Cheng Wan Hua, head of talent analytics at professional services firm Aon in South-east Asia.

"Naturally, it takes time to work out what works and what doesn't. It's also not that easy to transplant what worked in one organisation into another," she said.

Two employees who work at a US big tech firm in Singapore said that while the company has a badge tracking system, they are uncertain about "how much of it is tied to (work) performance".

"There is no clear signal about it," said one of the employees, who spoke to The Straits Times on condition of anonymity.

In the past two months, Grab and Amazon announced that employees have to return to the office five days a week. Starbucks too has reportedly threatened to fire corporate staff who do not go to the office three days a week.

When asked, a Starbucks spokesperson said its Singapore office has a different policy as it is a licensed market. Corporate employees in Singapore are required to go into the office four days a week, with the option to work from home on Wednesday or Friday. Employees also have flexible hours.

Meanwhile, more than 500 Amazon employees sent a letter to the chief executive of its Amazon Web Services unit, urging the reversal of a full return-to-office policy, which takes effect in January 2025.