Singapore launches new workplace safety and health resources

● Singapore enters next phase of efforts to support safer and longer working lives

● New initiatives aim to strengthen workplace safety and health (WSH) outcomes 

● AI-enabled SAGE platform will help WSH professionals access official guidance faster and strengthen risk management decisions

New national workplace safety and health initiatives have been unveiled at the Singapore Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Conference 2026. 

Source: WSH Council. From left: Tan Hee Teck, President, SNEF; Abu Bakar Bin Mohd Nor, Chairman, WSH Council; Singapore Minister of State for Manpower, Dinesh Vasu Dash; and Ngien Hoon Ping, Group CEO, SMRT Corporation.

Held at Marina Bay Sands, the 9th edition of the biennial conference focused on how Singapore’s WSH ecosystem can better anticipate emerging risks, strengthen shared ownership and translate safety insights into practical action across workplaces. Over 1,500 policymakers, business leaders, WSH professionals and industry practitioners attended activities under the theme Insight to Impact: Collective Effort for Stronger WSH Outcomes.

Singapore Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash launched the Safety Advisory and Guidance Engine (SAGE), an AI-enabled knowledge and decision-support tool developed by the Workplace Safety and Health Council in partnership with the Singapore Institution of Safety Officers. 

Designed for WSH professionals, SAGE helps users retrieve relevant information, identify workplace hazards and apply best-practice control measures based on Singapore’s WSH framework. SAGE provides guided task categories that help users navigate common WSH activities. This lowers the barrier to using AI for WSH tasks, making the platform easier to use regardless of the user's familiarity with AI. 

By making authoritative guidance easier to access, the tool aims to support faster, more consistent decision-making in safety-critical environments while complementing the experience and professional judgement of WSH practitioners.  

 The move comes as Singapore enters the next phase of its WSH journey. According to the Workplace Safety and Health Report 2025 released by the Singapore Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in March 2026, two all-time lows were achieved in the country. 

The workplace fatal injury rate fell to a record low of 0.96 per 100,000 workers in 2025, while major injury rates across most workplace settings declined to 15.7 per 100,000 workers.* However, reported workplace injuries rose by 2.5%, underscoring the need for continued vigilance even as Singapore remains among the safest working environments globally. 

Mr Dinesh also unveiled the Alliance for Action on Safety and Health for Employment Longevity (AfA-SHEL), which supports safer, healthier and longer working lives. The initiative will look at how workers can be better supported to remain in, or return safely to, employment after injury or illness. 

He said: “Singapore’s workplace safety and health progress is not a static achievement, but a continuous national effort. As we advance the WSH 2028 agenda, our focus must be on sustaining the progress we have made, strengthening support for workers, employers and WSH practitioners, and ensuring that our
WSH system remains responsive to the needs of a changing economy. By working together, we
can continue to raise WSH standards and build safer, healthier and more resilient workplaces.”

The AfA-SHEL was introduced by the minister during the MOM's Committee of Supply Debate in March 2026. Jointly led by MOM, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF), the AfA brings together employers, workers, relevant government agencies, healthcare institutions, solution providers and other stakeholders to co-create practical, industry-led solutions to strengthen WSH and support employment longevity.

The AfA will focus on developing practical solutions in three areas: 

• Injury prevention for the general workforce, beyond high-risk workplaces

• Supporting returning to work after a serious injury or health episode

• Workplace adaption and job redesign to make work tasks, processes and environments safer and more suitable for Singapore's workforce, which comprises people with varied physical and health needs

The WSH Council further introduced a new WhatsApp channel to provide employers, workers and WSH practitioners with mobile-first access to events, alerts, advisories and resources. This complements the Council’s existing WSH Bulletin, social media channels and website.

Abu Bakar Bin Mohd Nor, Chairman of the WSH Council, said the next phase of WSH progress will require stronger shared ownership across the ecosystem. “As workplace risks become more complex, the next phase of WSH progress cannot rest on any one party alone. Workforce ageing, more unpredictable weather patterns, and new technologies are changing the risks that employers, workers, and WSH professionals have to manage," he said. 

"That means we must keep adapting our systems, tools and mindsets, while ensuring every part of the ecosystem plays its role in anticipating risks earlier, designing for safety from the outset, and embedding WSH practices on the ground. This shared ownership will be critical as we continue strengthening Singapore’s WSH culture.” 

The Top Executive WSH Programme (TEWP) has also been enhanced. From 1 September 2026, the TEWP will place greater emphasis on executive accountability, governance and due diligence. The enhanced programme was redesigned by the Institute of Adult Learning and Singapore University of Social Sciences in consultation with MOM, the WSH Council, training providers and the Singapore Institute of Directors. 

New enhancements include:

● Special emphasis on governance and executive leadership
● Targeted learning designed for C-suite leaders and board directors
● More examples of scenario-based and application-focused learning
● Greater focus on the CORE Framework and the 17 Approved Code of Practice measures
● Enhanced emphasis on evidence of leadership commitment and due diligence

The conference concluded with a call for organisations to strengthen shared responsibility, practical innovation and adopt a people-centred approach to workplace safety and health. 

Details

AfA-SHEL 

MOM is inviting Singapore-registered organisations to participate in the AfA through an open call ending 31 August 2026. Selected organisations will participate in an innovation programme to develop their prototypes over approximately 14 months, beginning in August 2026. Participants will receive funding support, access to WSH and industry experts, and consultancy support from an assigned account manager. 

Applications will be evaluated by the AfA Secretariat, comprising MOM, NTUC, SNEF, and the WSH Council. Around 30 organisations will be selected, with balanced representation across the AfA's three focus areas. 

Interested organisations can submit their proposals via https://go.gov.sg/afashel2026opencall by 31 August 2026. 

SAGE

Beta testing for SAGE begins in August 2026, with the full public launch slated for January 2027. The tool will be available in multiple languages – English, Malay, Mandarin, Tamil, Bengali, Hindi and Burmese.

WhatsApp 

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*Workplace Safety and Health Report 2025, Minister of Manpower. Source: https://www.mom.gov.sg/-/media/mom/documents/safety-health/reports-stats/wsh-national-statistics/wsh-national-stats-2025.pdf 

Technology, talent and trust are redefining workplaces: IWG

2026 will see businesses doubling down their focus on their people. As not only their biggest asset, but also one of their greatest investments - companies are ensuring that their teams are being offered the wellbeing, training, development and new technology-driven learning opportunities that they need to thrive, said the International Workplace Group (IWG).

With companies increasingly prioritising their employees, they are also recognising that productivity and engagement are driven by how, when, and with whom they collaborate rather than solely where they work.

Organisations of all sizes are embracing flexible and hybrid working models to attract and retain the best talent. Recent technological advancements will further accelerate this shift, enabling smarter collaboration and more dynamic ways of working as businesses invest in data-driven workplace design and AI-powered personalised experiences. Increasingly, career pathways will be defined by skills rather than traditional degrees, and personalised human-AI collaboration will become an increasingly valuable skill for business success.

In 2026, the attention will now turn from where work happens to focus on a company’s profitability, productivity, and the wellbeing of their teams. Businesses will invest in flexible workspace memberships, allowing employees to work closer to home where they will be most productive, avoiding costly, unnecessary commutes. For most, this will mean working from suburban commuter hubs, small towns or emerging 15-minute cities, with work becoming more local, more personal and more intelligent than ever before.   

IWG's 2026 global predictions include: 

AI in the daily workflow

In 2026, hybrid teams will more regularly integrate AI copilots into their daily operations. These systems will significantly reduce the need for simple tasks such as admin, knowledge retrieval, and scheduling. Employees will find themselves with more time for creative work, able to tackle complex problem-solving tasks, and develop meaningful relationships. Moreover, this transformation will enable individuals to better manage their work-life balance, ultimately leading to increased productivity and job satisfaction.

Recognising this profound shift, Singapore is taking decisive action to secure its future as a leading AI hub and ensure its workforce is AI-ready, IWG said, pointing out that under the refreshed National AI Strategy 2.0, the government has earmarked over S$1 B for AI development and deployment over the next five years. 

Speaking at Singapore FinTech Festival 2025, Singapore's Deputy PM Gan Kim Yong reinforced the importance of upskilling in AI, urging employers to treat training as a form of investment in their workforce, and for Singapore workers to proactively seek out training so that they are “able to adapt, evolve together with the evolution of jobs.”

This proliferation of AI copilots within the workplace is being accelerated by a new wave of intergenerational collaboration. Research from IWG has revealed that 62% of Gen Z employees are already coaching older colleagues on how to use AI to boost productivity and efficiency. In turn, 77% of Directors and Senior Directors have said this has boosted productivity levels, while 80% said it unlocked new business opportunities. 

Capitalising on this trend, employers will increasingly use AI and workplace analytics to create “personalised hybrid plans” for each employee, including optimised schedules, ideal collaboration days, and preferred office or coworking locations. 

Reversing a S$73.6B productivity loss 

Unlike “quiet quitting”, where employees deliberately do the bare minimum, “quiet cracking”describes something subtler: employees who are still performing, but feel mentally and emotionally checked out, resulting in burnout, stalled progression, and a lack of purpose.

In Singapore, the related concept of “job hugging,” where employees stay in their roles despite dissatisfaction, has gained attention. Annual resignation rates hit a historic low of 1.3% in 2024, despite low employee engagement, IWG said. The country ranks second-lowest across Southeast Asia for employee engagement, with 61% of employees reporting burnout and rising stress levels. Experts estimate this disengagement is costing the nation S$73.6 B annually in productivity loss, putting Singapore’s status as a high-performance hub at risk.

With 57% of workers saying they’re more likely to disengage when they feel undervalued or micromanaged, companies will put more emphasis on employee wellbeing and flexible work options to remain competitive, IWG said. As wellbeing becomes a bigger focus, companies are also expected to move past traditional perks and start using new “well-tech” tools - like stress-tracking wearables, AI mental health reminders, and wellness challenges that gamify healthy habits and make them more engaging.

Fractional C-suites

As they navigate economic uncertainty, more companies are turning to fractional executives, opting for part-time or contract-based C-suite talent who bring in laser-focused expertise without the cost of full-time appointments.

With nearly nine in 10 (87%) CEOs and CFOs concerned about the impact of ongoing macroeconomic instability and two thirds (67%) already reducing operating costs, businesses are looking for smarter leadership models. This flexibility allows companies to secure world-class strategic insight when needed, while enabling experienced professionals to work across multiple organisations.  

The concept is only beginning to gain traction in Asia. Organisational consulting firm Korn Ferry reported six times more requests from Singapore-based firms seeking fractional leaders in 2025 compared with last year. This trend is set to accelerate with increased support for Singapore organisations exploring solutions such as fractional work. 

For example, the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore is developing a fractional talent model to help SMEs engage senior professionals on a part-time or project basis – a solution which it hopes will address SME’s challenge of attracting and retaining skilled leadership.  

Rising Gen Z workforce

Gen Zs account for nearly a third of the labour force and are projected to be the largest generation in the workplace by 2035. They come with clear expectations that go beyond pay, prioritising wellness, mental health, flexible hours and meaningful work that aligns with their core values, IWG said. 

As the global population ages, retirements accelerate and talent gaps widen, business leaders must understand and respond to these shifting priorities to remain competitive. Companies that embrace flexibility, autonomy, and meaningful work will attract and retain the next generation of leaders; those that fail to do so risk falling behind, IWG said.  

Multi-office work

Companies of all sizes are moving away from loosely-defined hybrid policies toward more structured, multi-location models, IWG forecasted. Employees are increasingly empowered to work from more convenient places closer to home. Instead of a traditional Return to the Office, the shift is now toward a Return to Several Offices. 

Microsoft recently announced that by 2026, many of its US employees will need to work from their nearest Microsoft office at least three days per week – a policy expected to be implemented across its international offices, including Singapore, IWG noted. Elsewhere, companies are enabling staff to work across a network of coworking or flexible workspace locations.

Skills stacking

Hybrid workers will stack “micro-certifications” - bite-sized, skill-focused credentials - instead of relying on traditional degrees or annual performance reviews. Employers will support this by funding on-demand learning platforms, creating more agile talent pools. This trend will change internal mobility, with skills becoming more portable and accessible.  

Fifteen-minute cities

The 15-minute city concept – where everything from work to leisure is accessible within a short walk or cycle – is entering a new phase in 2026. Until recently, this had been a story of adaptation: retrofitting existing neighbourhoods to bring work, living, and recreation closer together. In 2026, 15-minute cities will be taking an entirely new form, built from the ground up and designed to encourage connectivity, sustainability and community.

According to IWG, Singapore’s URA Draft Master Plan 2025 outlines a future built around self-contained neighbourhoods, with upcoming housing areas, parks, community hubs and local centres designed to support work-live-play needs within short distances. These developments reflect the broader move toward compact, connected urban districts characteristic of 15-minute cities.

Hybrid work is making these urban ecosystems viable, as professionals choose to live and work locally while businesses decentralise their footprints to be closer to where people are.

Hospitality-led environments

The workplace will increasingly look and feel like a boutique hotel, IWG believes. "In 2026, expect concierge-style services, curated food and beverage options, and sensory-led design that elevates comfort and wellbeing," the company predicted.

IWG’s March 2025 partnership with residential design brand YOO exemplifies this shift: by combining design-led hospitality expertise with IWG’s flexible workspace network, these new spaces will blend work, social connection and wellbeing, transforming the office into a lifestyle experience.  

Sensory-led design prioritises wellbeing with the use of lighting, texture and similar design characteristics. 

On-demand offices

Day offices are set to become a key part of the landscape, providing a professional and productive office space whenever and wherever it is needed. Whether employees are seeking quiet, focus rooms or collaboration spaces for ad-hoc team days, these “on-demand” options eliminate the need for long-term commitments while offering all the amenities of a traditional office. 

With wellbeing firmly on the agenda, features such as natural light and on-site wellness amenities will differentiate day offices, helping employees work efficiently, flexibly, and with purpose. 

Local loyalty

Hybrid work will foster a renewed connection to local communities, IWG predicted. Companies may encourage employees to integrate volunteerism, local partnerships, or skill-sharing into their work week, strengthening employer brands while supporting civic engagement in the communities where employees live and work.

Mark Dixon, Founder and CEO of IWG, said: “Continuous improvements in technology including AI and new approaches to training and development will be significant drivers of productivity, engagement, and loyalty, enabling companies to create a future-ready workforce and working environment that propels business growth.

"We will continue to see a fundamental shift in the geography of work with the centre of gravity moving towards local communities. The remarkable advances in cloud technology and video conferencing software – both vital to enabling effective hybrid working – mean workers no longer need to travel long distances on a daily basis. Innovations in technology will continue to advance in years to come and will radically underline and fuel the flexibility of location.

"The rising demand for more localised working has led to the majority of our new IWG centres opening in the heart of local communities, suburbs and rural areas, enabling many people around the world to say farewell to long daily commutes.”

IWG’s 23 centres in Singapore are positioned across major residential and commercial zones, supporting the city’s shift toward decentralised, close-to-home work options.  

International SOS calls for holistic workplace health and safety

Source: International SOS. Guidelines for
safer, healthier workplaces.

International SOS, the world's health and security risk services company, is calling on global organisations to reinforce their commitment to safeguarding the health, safety, and occupational wellbeing of their workforce.

According to the company, approximately 2.93 million workers are reported to lose their lives annually due to work-related diseases (89%), as well as occupational accidents and injuries (11%). Over 75% of work-related mortality is attributed to circulatory, neoplastic, and respiratory diseases. Notably, long working hours and pollutant exposure are major contributors, highlighting the ongoing importance of robust workplace health and safety measures.

International SOS data also underscores the prevalence of respiratory issues, revealing a 10% rise in assistance requests related to respiratory diseases in 2024 compared to the previous year.

International SOS has also pointed out that most of the global workforce has never had occupational safety and health (OSH) training (62%). There is progress in mental health support, with over 70% integrating it into their workplace health and safety policies, according to a new report by the International SOS Foundation.

Dr Olivier Lo, Group Medical Director, Occupational Health Services, at International SOS said: "It is important to acknowledge that workplace harm, encompassing both physical and mental wellbeing of workers, frequently arises from limitations in organisational governance and resource provision. A fundamental duty of care is non-negotiable; organisational neglect in these areas carries substantial human and economic consequences. 

"Addressing these issues demands a holistic structured approach, recognising that the health and safety of the global workforce are inextricably linked to the broader operational framework. Furthermore, the rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and digitisation into workplaces necessitates a renewed focus on safety, as these technologies reshape jobs and introduce new potential hazards.

To effectively mitigate risks, deeply embedded health and safety practices, including education and training, are vital. These elements are not merely supplementary but are critical for fostering proactive vigilance and preventing human error. Where health and safety are ingrained within the organisational culture, both workers and management are better positioned to actively identify and address potential hazards, thereby safeguarding the workforce and ensuring sustainable business practices.”

International SOS offers the following guidelines to help organisations create healthier and safer workplaces ahead of World Day for Safety and Health at Work (April 28):

- Conduct thorough health and safety risk assessments: Identify and evaluate all potential hazards in the workplace, including physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic, and psychosocial risks.

- Promote a culture of health and occupational wellbeing: Foster a workplace environment that values and supports the physical and mental health of workers, including access to health services, wellness programmes, and mental health support.

- Provide comprehensive training: Equip employees with the knowledge and skills they need to work safely, including hazard recognition, safe work practices, and emergency procedures.

- Develop robust crisis management plans: Be prepared to respond effectively to emergencies, such as workplace incidents, natural disasters, and pandemics, to minimise the impact on workers' health and safety.

- Focus on mental health: Implement programmes that support workers ' mental wellbeing, reduce stigma, and provide access to mental health resources.

- Mitigate the risks of excessive working hours: Implement clear policies and practices that prevent excessive overtime, including workload management strategies and time-off provisions.

- Regularly review and improve: Continuously monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of health and safety programmes and make necessary adjustments to ensure ongoing improvement.

Declining employee engagement in hybrid work models: Zoom

Zoom has released Navigating the Future of Work: Global Perspectives on Hybrid Models and Technology, a survey* which has found that the majority of organisations in the Asia-Pacific region (APAC) are embracing flexible working arrangements, with 84% of organisations adopting either a hybrid (58%) or remote (26%) working model. 

Launched at Zoom's EX Summit 2024 in Asia Pacific, the study found that productivity is now the top priority for organisations. Eighty-seven percent of leaders in APAC considered increasing productivity to be the biggest consideration when determining the best working style for their company, surpassing sentiment in North America (NA, 86%) and 81% in Western Europe. 

The study further found that employees feel most productive in hybrid settings, with 83% of employees in the region agreeing they get more work done in a hybrid/remote setting than in-office/onsite. Zoom noted that having the right technology in place to keep the workforce connected, regardless of workers’ physical locations is therefore critical. 

Respondents revealed that many APAC companies are still experimenting with the various types of hybrid models to find their best fit. Notably, scheduled hybrid (27%) and flextime hybrid (19%) have emerged as the most common workplace models in the region, with another 13% of organisations adopting other kinds of hybrid workplace models organised around roles, locations, and outcomes. In fact, 97% of APAC leaders say they have made their workplaces more flexible in the past two years. 

Source: Zoom infographic (PDF). The most common workplace model in APAC is 'scheduled hybrid', where specific days are spent at remote locations and other days at the office, followed by 'flextime hybrid', where the employee divides their time between remote working and the office on a more variable schedule.

On the downside, more needs to be done to engage employees. Six in 10 leaders in the region report a decline in employee engagement attributed to hybrid models. 

“Workplace flexibility is not only becoming increasingly commonplace in the APAC region, but more diverse in itself — ranging from flextime to location, role, and even rotation-based models,” noted Ricky Kapur, Head of Asia Pacific, Zoom. 

“Leaders today are faced with a new challenge of finding the best-fit hybrid model while keeping up with the evolving expectations of a multi-generational workforce and the impact of rapidly-advancing technologies like AI.” 

In order to prepare for the future of work, the study revealed that organisations need to improve their current tech stack. More than eight in 10 employees (81%) agree that the tools and technology their organisation currently uses for remote work needs improving, highest among the other regions surveyed (NA: 79%; Western Europe: 65%). 

Generative AI has already become a key tool to support employee productivity and overall experience in the hybrid era. Eighty-five percent of APAC leaders believe that generative AI has made their workforce more productive, and 69% of employees in the region strongly or slightly agree that “generative AI makes it easier to do my job. 

APAC organisations recorded the highest use of meeting transcripts/summarisation (53% in APAC, 40% in NA, and 38% in Western Europe), and chatbots (59% in APAC, 52% in NA, and 58% in Western Europ” 

However, significant barriers to generative AI adoption for employees in APAC still remain, as 70% believe that generative AI has a high learning curve. Over six in 10 (63%) are not yet comfortable with generative AI. More than half (55%) are concerned that generative AI will negatively impact their job/position. 

Moving forward, increased education on the benefits, use cases, and how they can mitigate risks must be done before teams can fully unlock the true value of AI for their workforce, Zoom said. 

“While our study shows that APAC leaders generally recognise the productivity benefits that adopting AI at work can bring to their teams, many are not utilising AI to their full potential. As organisations seek to reduce friction in the transition to hybrid ways of working, AI is a critical tool at their disposal to help employees collaborate better and feel more connected to each other. 

"Beyond direct productivity benefits, leaders should look toward exploring more AI use cases to engage, inform, and connect employees. This will be key to building and maintaining company culture amidst changing workplace dynamics,” added Kapur. 

Even as hybrid becomes the dominant work model, 77% of leaders in APAC say it is likely that their organisation will change its workplace model in the next two years. Globally, this figure sits at 75%. 

Ultimately, building a successful, future-ready workplace requires organisations to continuously adapt to employees’ feedback and evolving preferences. Having the right technology in place that can adapt and evolve with the organisation at the same time, including AI tools that are both scalable and right-fit, is also a key piece to the puzzle, Zoom observed.

*The Future of Work survey and the IT Leadership survey were global studies conducted by Reworked, a global community of employee experience, digital workplace, and talent management professionals, on behalf of Zoom. The companies surveyed more than 600 IT and C-suite leaders and nearly 1,900 knowledge workers across the globe including 604 in APAC, exploring their views on different workplace models, productivity levels across models, the impact of generative AI on work, and other topics related to the future of work. 

Markets in APAC included Australia, India, Japan, and Singapore. Data was collected online, all questions were required, and results were collected anonymously. Employer survey dates: April-May 2024; Respondents: 624. Employee survey dates: April-May 2024; Respondents: 1,870.

LinkedIn: Talent development crucial when work is reshaped by AI

With skills needed for a job changing by 68% by 2030 due to the impact of AI, 91% of companies in the Asia-Pacific region (APAC) say they plan to enhance their people’s skills and abilities this year. 

Last year, technology took centrestage – LinkedIn saw a 21x surge in global English-language job postings mentioning GPT or ChatGPT; this year, LinkedIn said companies are directing their attention towards talent development. Today, the top five skills that hiring managers in APAC consider the most important in the era of AI are a combination of both hard and soft skills – problem-solving abilities (35%), communications skills (27%), critical thinking (25%), AI skills (19%) and IT & web skills (17%).

Feon Ang, VP, LinkedIn Talent Solutions and MD, APAC said: “In the past year, the narrative was dominated by technological advancements, particularly the integration of AI into business workflows. The resulting surge in demand for AI expertise reflected the challenges many businesses faced in navigating this transformative shift and incorporating cutting-edge technologies into their operations. 

"However, we are now witnessing a pronounced shift towards skills – both technical and soft skills – to thrive in the era of AI. Investing in people’s growth is no longer a perk but a strategic imperative, considering that our workforce is the driving force behind companies’ success in an era shaped by both AI innovation and collaboration with AI.” 

Eighty-eight percent of employers have observed substantial changes in the skills and qualifications they prioritise in job candidates due to the pervasive impact of AI and automation in their industries. Companies are placing emphasis on candidates who possess not only AI expertise, but also soft skills and a capacity for learning.

According to LinkedIn’s latest Workplace Learning Report, 94% of learning and development (L&D) professionals in APAC believe that human skills are increasingly becoming the most competitive in our economy. In particular, ‘communication’ has topped LinkedIn’s most in-demand skills list for 2024 across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines and Singapore. LinkedIn said this is not surprising when AI tools free up time for professionals to excel in jobs only people can do, like build relationships and collaborate with others.

In addition, 40% of APAC hiring managers consider an individual's potential for growth and ability to learn as the most important factor when evaluating internal and external candidates.

Most of the companies in APAC (91%) are also focusing on preparing their employees for the future world of work by enhancing their skills and capabilities, believing that this will lead to increased confidence and job security. In fact, APAC HR professionals are offering online training programmes (44%) and internal learning and development sessions focused on generative AI (43%) to do so.

As companies increasingly invest in learning opportunities, the focus on creating a culture of learning has soared, becoming a top priority for L&D professionals in 2024 across all APAC markets. In fact, 92% of them in APAC say they can show business value by helping employees gain skills to move into different internal roles.

A recent survey of APAC leaders has revealed that internal mobility is becoming an increasingly important factor in attracting and retaining top talent within organisations. The survey found that 48% of APAC leaders identified providing career progression opportunities as their key priority this year.

Nearly four in 10 (37%) hiring managers see career growth opportunities as key to retaining top talent, along with competitive salary and benefits (39%). In addition, 49% of APAC employers believe that highlighting opportunities for career advancement and increasing internal mobility are the top two ways to attract talent. These findings suggest that organisations in the APAC region would do well to focus on internal mobility as a key strategy for attracting and retaining top talent in the years to come.

To assist companies in their pivot towards a skills-centric approach, LinkedIn has introduced tools such as Recruiter 2024, LinkedIn’s AI-assisted recruiting experience. Recruiter enables hirers to quickly access high-quality candidate recommendations by using natural language search prompts and data from millions of professionals and companies, ensuring they are able to shortlist talent based on skills they need. These features will ramp to all APAC customers in English-speaking markets from end February.

To empower companies to build the skills they need for the next decade of work, the company has launched AI-powered coaching in LinkedIn Learning – a chatbot experience that offers real-time advice and tailored content recommendations personalised for learners based on their job title, career goal, and skills they follow. 

This is currently available to APAC customers in English-speaking markets. The company has also been expanding its in-demand skill library, including AI courses. AI courses in particular have seen a 5X uptick in learners.

In early March, we will be launching new career development and internal mobility features within LinkedIn Learning to help guide employees to critical skills, develop skills that matter to grow, and connect to the best-fit opportunity at their organisation. This will be available in English, Hindi, Japanese, Indonesian and Malay, amongst others.

Ang said: "Business leaders recognise that they cannot rely on old talent playbooks in this new era of work that’s being reshaped by AI, and where skills needed for the same job will change by 68% by 2030. Every minute, LinkedIn helps seven people get hired and 140 hours of learning content is consumed. 

Concept art representing a journey generated by Blue Willow.

"Building on this, we’ve supercharged our hiring and learning solutions to help companies recruit and retain the best talent. Take the National Healthcare Group in Singapore, for example, which is on a journey to foster self-directed learning amongst their employees by nurturing a robust culture of continuous learning. They're looking to incorporate LinkedIn's AI-powered coaching into their learning and development programmes, empowering employees to take charge of their professional growth.”

Explore

View insights from LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning Report for Australia/New Zealand, India and Southeast Asia.

*LinkedIn’s research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 4,323 hiring managers (middle management+) aged 18-77 in the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the US, India, Australia, Singapore, Japan, Indonesia, China, Netherlands, Sweden, MENA, and Brazil. The data was collected between 15 December 2023 and 4 January 2024.

IWG: How the world of work transforms in 2024

Concept image representing
office work generated by
Dream by WOMBO.

IWG, the world’s largest provider of flexible workspace, including brands such as Regus and Spaces, has shared the top 10 trends that are set to shape global working in 2024. According to the company, hybrid working is set to continue: ongoing academic research by Stanford University and other leading institutes has predicted that around a third or more white-collar workers will continue to work in a hybrid way in the long term.

Chief Hybrid Officers

The widespread adoption of hybrid work has led to the emergence of a new C-suite role—the Chief Hybrid Officer (CHO). Companies such as Meta, Doist and GitLab have already hired their own, and we will see more companies appointing CHOs in 2024 to oversee and optimise the hybrid work environment. They will balance the needs of in-office and remote employees, ensuring productivity, and navigating logistical challenges effectively.

Another new role has also emerged. The Office Synchroniser is responsible for optimising office space and ensuring effective collaboration.

A renewed focus on culture

In a hybrid working world, companies must find a balance between empowering employee flexibility and ensuring regular and adequate time for collaboration. This balance needs to ensure that, despite varied work settings, there is a cohesive framework encouraging open communication and a shared commitment to the company's mission. Embracing hybrid working not only provides flexibility but also encourages a dynamic and inclusive culture, allowing diverse perspectives to thrive and contributing to enhanced innovation and employee satisfaction.

Greater expectations from employers

Innovative benefits packages will become mainstream and will be pivotal in the race for talent in 2024. Benefits such as fertility support, pet care and time off for caring responsibilities may become commonplace, as employers are forced to take a more holistic look at the needs of their hybrid workforce.

There will also be heightened expectations from employees that businesses provide benefits packages and company polices that support the wellbeing of their workforce. Whether it’s increased parental leave, progressive childcare policies or taking action to address burnout with appropriate mental health support, businesses will need to be more attuned to the evolving needs and demands of their workforce if they want to retain their best people.

The company's role in childcare

As hybrid work continues to gain momentum, increased employer support for families will be a gamechanger for parents seeking more balance between their professional and home life.

Businesses will increasingly have a role to play, recognising the challenge of childcare and providing support more for working parents is essential to maintain a diverse and skilled workforce. In fact, research from IWG highlighted how greater flexibility is allowing workers to spend more time with family and hobbies, with three in four (75%) hybrid workers using time previously spent commuting on more meaningful activities.

The lunch hour

With an increasing number of workers seeking a healthier work/life balance, the year ahead will witness a resurgence of lunch breaks dedicated to in-person interactions.

The flexibility of hybrid work will help more workers reclaim their lunch hour to grab food with coworkers and clients and rekindle in-person collaboration and relationships, in turn fostering a more positive workplace, creativity and camaraderie amongst hybrid working team members.

Neurodiversity

Accommodating neurodivergent team members will be an important pillar of employer DE&I (diversity, equity, and inclusion) strategies in the near future. This shift is reflected in the evolving design of office spaces, which now takes into consideration the specific needs of neurodivergent workers including addressing issues such as noise and lighting, acknowledging the significant impact these factors can have on the wellbeing of these employees. As companies adapt for greater inclusivity, a proactive approach to inclusive design will ensure that workplaces are supportive and comfortable for all employees, improving productivity in the process.

Unretirement

Hybrid work has given more flexibility to older generations in particular, allowing them to stay in the workforce – or coming back from a previous exit for 'unretirement'. Bain and Company estimate that by 2030, around 150 million global jobs will shift to workers aged 55 and over. In 2024, this phenomenon will gather pace, with a growing number of experienced professionals from older generations embracing this concept and, for the first time in their careers, exploring the benefits of hybrid working, helping establish more diverse workforces and intergenerational collaboration.

Greener work

Robust hybrid working policies are playing a pivotal role in cutting carbon emissions; recent research by IWG and Arup suggests that hybrid working can reduce carbon emissions as a result of a dramatic reduction in commuting.

In an era where sustainability is paramount, we are going to see businesses looking for more innovative ways to cut their carbon emissions in 2024. Businesses are increasingly looking for buildings with green leases, aiming to reduce carbon emissions and enhance their environmental performance. In 2024, we will see these leases go beyond energy efficiency, encompassing water conservation, waste reduction, and indoor air quality.

Hybrid work: the top employee benefit

The commercial benefits of hybrid to businesses, given the meaningful savings companies can make by adopting the working model, are clear. Stanford University's Professor Nicholas Bloom has long talked about hybrid working being a win/win for both employers and employees, commenting that it’s a “no brainer to increase profit”. And data supports this thinking; 81% of CFOs surveyed by IWG see hybrid working as a cost saver and more than two-thirds (67%) say their business will continue to work in the hybrid model, splitting time between the company’s headquarters, a local office/workspace and home in five years.

But that’s not all; hybrid working is becoming the most sought-after benefit for employees too, already impacting business’s ability to access and keep the best talent. IWG’s own research shows that almost three quarters of workers (72%) would only consider a job that offers the ability to work flexibly, while 71% would be unwilling to accept a position that involved a long commute.

Increasing presence of AI

2024 will see a clear shift in adoption and usage of AI in everyday life, and companies who invest in helping their people understand how AI can be a benefit to hybrid working, will reap the rewards; preparing employees for unforeseen roles and technologies should become a priority for businesses, while helping them understand that using AI effectively can lessen time spend on administrative tasks, leaving more room for thinking and collaborating together.

Mark Dixon, Founder and CEO of IWG, said: “The migration to hybrid is one of the most important forces at play in the world today as workers increasingly embrace the opportunity to work locally, bringing significant opportunities to the economies of local communities as well as creating a better work-life-balance for employees.

“Hybrid working is radically reshaping how we work. Businesses that embrace it will attract the best talent and get the most out of their workforces all while reducing their own bottom line. This pace of change will continue in 2024, with an increasing number of employees and businesses understanding the clear financial, cultural and sustainability benefits that flexible working models can bring.” 

Explore

Read the white paper at https://assets.iwgplc.com/image/upload/v1702983436/IWG/MediaCentre/IWG_White_Paper_Future_of_Work_Trends_Forecast_2024.pdf (PDF)

Singapore women largely feel they're paid fairly, and that their employers listen to them

Southeast Asia consumer research company Milieu Insight has conducted a study to understand sentiments about the amount of support, opportunities and rewards women receive at work among women in Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Concept art featuring a woman
generated by dream by WOMBO.

Key findings include:

- Slightly more than two thirds (67%) of Singapore women feel that they are fairly remunerated for their work, but only 51% feel that they are rewarded fairly for going above and beyond

- Slightly under two thirds (65%) of Singapore women think that their companies are receptive to their feedback, but only 50% think that they act upon them

- Nearly four in 10 (39%) Singapore women feel that they have to work harder to achieve their goals because of their gender, lower that their counterparts in Indonesia (55%)

Singapore scored lower than counterparts in other countries for the following questions:

- “I am equipped with the resources I need to finish my tasks within working hours.” (Singapore: 79%, Indonesia: 88%, Philippines: 93%)

- “I am rewarded fairly when I go above and beyond my job scope.” (Singapore: 51%, Indonesia: 68%, Philippines: 62%)

- “There is someone at work whom I can celebrate my work achievements with.” (Singapore: 58%, Indonesia: 74%, Philippines: 83%) 

Hashtags: #IWD, #IWD2023, #InternationalWomensDay, #EmbraceEquity

*Based on Milieu Insight surveys with n=500 female employees each from Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines, conducted via Milieu Insight's online proprietary panel in February 2023.

Poly and Debrett's release the etiquette guide for hybrid work

Source: HP. Debrett's has spoken on
hybrid work.

Poly, part of HP’s portfolio of hybrid work solutions, has partnered with Debrett’s, the authority on modern etiquette, to create a guide for global etiquette in the hybrid workplace.

Samir Sayed, MD, ASEAN, Korea, Emerging Markets & Pakistan for Hybrid Work Solutions at HP said, “The shift to hybrid work was so abrupt, we’ve not really considered how our behaviour should change to accommodate this new way of working. Should we be amending our behaviour to make hybrid work and hybrid meetings feel more normal? Thinking about how to make hybrid meetings feel more natural will create an equal meeting experience, whether people are in the room or dialling-in from home, which can come down to employers providing staff with the right technology and training.”

“With people increasingly splitting their time between the office and home, how we conduct ourselves at work has changed drastically,” says Liz Wyse, Etiquette Advisor at Debrett’s.

“It is clear that hybrid working offers many benefits, including greater flexibility and a better work-life balance. However, that’s not an excuse to let etiquette slip, and standards should stay the same regardless of where you’re working from. What’s the dress code when working from home? How do you eliminate distractions and present a professional façade online? This guide seeks to answer these questions so that both staff and employers can get the most out of a hybrid working arrangement."

Key takeaways from the guide include:

The royal wave

Ending a video call can sometimes feel a bit awkward. To make calls feel more friendly and inclusive, you can soften the abrupt finality of pressing ‘end call’ by giving colleagues a wave goodbye.

Avoid video motion sickness

Stay in a fixed position during video calls. Carrying your device while you answer the door or wander around the office during video calls risks giving your colleagues a bad dose of motion sickness.

No meeting munchies

You should try to avoid eating – you don’t want people to focus on the contents of your lunch rather than what you’re saying. It’s preferable to eat before you join a meeting.

Beware the danger of diversions

Your home is full of diversions. It’s all too easy to wander around doing jobs or making snacks, which ultimately distracts you from your job and impacts your productivity.

Eliminate virtual background clutter

Indulge in a little set-dressing before your call. Evaluate your video background. Try to eliminate chaotic bookshelves, discarded clothing, empty take-away containers and distracting artwork. You want your colleagues to focus on you, not your background.

Say no to stoic sickness syndrome

Do not struggle into the office if you have got a cough or cold or anything contagious.

No meeting multitasking

It’s inappropriate to multitask during meetings – for example looking at your phone. It is also very bad form to carry on working while on a call; everybody will realise your mind is elsewhere and hear the incriminating clatter of your keyboard.

Mute work mates

Noise in the office can be distracting when joining calls. It’s quite acceptable to politely ask your colleagues to keep their voices down and to turn down their radio or music.

Dress for success

People will choose to wear more relaxed, comfortable clothing when working from home, but it’s important to be aware of the psychological impact of truly letting yourself go. Aim to dress as if you are in the room with other meeting attendees.

Embrace long pauses

Don’t be alarmed by long pauses during meetings and scramble to fill them with chatter; they are an invaluable way of giving people space to interject or expound.

Explore

Get the guide here. 

View the associated infographic (PDF).

Deel: 12 work trends in 2023

Source: Deel playbook. 12 work
trends for 2023.

Deel, which provides payroll and compliance solutions for international teams, has researched emerging work trends, and come up with a full dozen for 2023:

Overemployed

First off, Deel said that remote workers are gaming the system by using flexible hours and asynchronous tools to juggle more than one job at the same time.

The Chief Remote Officer (CRO)

"The title of CRO is popping up on job boards everywhere," Deel has found. The company said most job descriptions entail all the elements around remote team setups, including hosting in-person events, detailing how to work in different timezones, compensation strategies, and internal communications tools.

Workcations

Working while travelling is now a reality and becoming the norm, said Deel.

Flex holidays

More workers are getting the power to decide which holidays to take instead of a one-size-fits-all calendar, Deel said.

Gen Flex

The latest generation (Gen alpha) has never even stepped foot in an office for work, Deel states, making virtual their reality. 

Flexetariat

Today’s workforce is putting flexibility and freedom at the top of their working requirements (and life). "Now more than ever teams are trading perks for the non-negotiable of being a Flexetariat," the company said.

Talent snatching

Despite ongoing layoffs, there is a bidding war for talent happening in parallel. "Some workers are finding themselves working at one company for only a few months before getting a more appealing offer elsewhere, oftentimes out of nowhere," Deel stated.

Sukima (隙間)

Young people are embracing sukima (gap) in Japan, according to Deel, turning free time into extra cash. New apps such as Jobcase, Timee and LINE Sukimani help match them with jobs like waiting tables or making deliveries, so there’s no time wasted; just money earned.

Casual e-signatures

With apps like BeReal on the rise, Gen Zers are skipping the pleasantries for more “authentic” sign offs and out-of-office (OOO) replies, said Deel. Look out for e-mail signatures like “Lukewarm regards”, “Another day, another slay”, and “In case of emergency, dial 911; not an emergency, try Google”, Deel predicted.

Pick-up parties

As fewer people are working from offices and together less in real life (IRL), people are finding new ways to connect. There are now in-person brand events called "pick-up parties", Deel said, where purchased products are collected in person at an event where the buyer can meet other likeminded people.

Career bouncing

Deel differentiated "salary bouncing" - jumping from job to job in under a year to increase salary with each jump - and "career bouncing", where a person moves from one career to a completely different industry, such as being a teacher and then a marketer, to determine which career is preferable.

Save-from-home

In a survey with Momentive, Deel found that people are saving more than ever thanks to things like reduced travel, food expenses, and increased salaries. More than 59% have increased their salaries and 64% said their savings have grown while working from home, the company shared.

Explore

Read the playbook

Slack: Job stability, security as important as salary for talent retention

Source: Slack infographic. More than half of all Singapore knowledge workers feel burned out, with nearly half thinking of changing jobs in 2023.

Talent retention is going to be rocky going forward. The impact of the pandemic, the uncertain economic environment, and the burnout experienced by over half of Singaporean knowledge workers in the last year, have irrevocably changed what employees want from their leaders, according to new Slack research*.

The study, Leadership and the war for talent, based on a survey of over 1,000 Singaporean knowledge workers, found that Singaporeans now value stability and job security (53%) more than salary (40%) when it comes to choosing the company they work for; while having a good manager (31%) was almost as much of a consideration as salary.

Survey respondents also identified teamwork and collaboration, transparent and trustworthy leadership, flexible work, and employee wellbeing as the four biggest factors in driving organisational success - all of these factors are valued more highly than financial achievement. When it comes to flexible working, over two-thirds of Singaporeans want to be trusted to do their job regardless of location or the hours worked.

With nearly one in two Singaporean knowledge workers considering moving jobs in the next year, and 16% admitting to ‘quiet quitting’ - fulfilling the requirements of their job but not going above and beyond - it’s critical for leaders to act, Slack said. The company advises that leaders ensure their own leadership style will impact employee engagement and motivation negatively. This means:

- Focusing more on soft or ‘power’ skills - human-centred, interpersonal skills related to areas such as collaboration, social and emotional intelligence; 

- Analysing the time employees are spending on unproductive tasks; 

- Exploring ways to elevate productivity with collaborative technology; and 

- Figuring out how to meet the varying expectations of employees from different generations, who prefer to work in different ways.

Shweta Verma, Country Manager, Singapore, Slack said, “The reality is that many Singaporean professionals are burnt out. Leaders have an obligation to address this – not least for the wellbeing of their employees, but also to drive the productivity of their organisations. As we continue to go through one of the biggest workplace experiments of the century - moving from physical offices to digital headquarters - it’s critical that employers demonstrate sound, positive leadership. By harnessing collaborative technology at scale, and engaging employees in ways that best suit them, leaders can help drive productivity and a happier, more engaged workforce.” 

Poor leadership leads to burnout, quiet quitting

Slack’s research draws a clear link between poor leadership and a dip in employee morale and productivity. Only half of Singaporean professionals say they feel inspired by their leaders, and the same number find their leaders “stuck in their ways of working.”

‘Quiet quitting’ is strongly linked to poor leadership as well – over half (51%) of those who ‘quiet quit’ reported having poor leaders.

According to the study, employees with poor or average leaders feel they have much less of a voice, and less control and autonomy over their work. Additionally, they reported more of a disconnect between leaders and employees, and reported culture feeling more forced. 

Collaborative technology as potential ‘power tools’ for boosting leadership

The Slack study showed a strong correlation between those respondents that hold their leaders in high regard and those whose leaders embrace the use of collaborative technology. Interestingly, these respondents were also identified as feeling highly connected to their organisations. Contrastingly, those who deemed their leaders as technology laggards in this area say they are more likely to quit their job.

Nearly two-thirds of Singaporean knowledge workers saw collaboration tools as enabling them to be productive, among other benefits. These include being able to free up time by automating work, getting information to the right people quickly, speeding up the implementation of projects, improving communication with leadership, prioritising tasks, and achieving faster feedback loops. 

The real reason Singaporean knowledge workers don’t have enough hours in the day

The potential value of collaboration tools on organisational success becomes more pronounced, Slack said, when looking at the amount of non-productive time that Singaporean knowledge workers say they are spending on routine and often mundane tasks.

For example, nearly a third of respondents feel that it takes them too long to find information internally, and that internal processes take up too much of their day. A similar number find that communicating across the company, within big teams and across time zones is slow due to delayed responses. Where this is the case, around a quarter of this group say they are spending over an hour a day on these activities, which can be accelerated through collaboration technology. 

Mind the generation gap

The survey shows significant generational differences in employees in Singapore in terms of what they expect from their leaders, making it clear that people management is not a one-size-fits-all.

Gen Z are the most concerned with wellbeing, having a highly social culture and desiring empathetic leaders. While they are more likely to be inspired by leadership, they are the most likely to switch jobs.

Millennials also want a focus on wellbeing, transparent and trustworthy leadership, and a great employee experience. They are the most likely to feel a disconnect between leaders and employees, and have the highest levels of job dissatisfaction. This group leans in most to the use of collaboration tools.

Gen X places the greatest importance on flexibility, transparent and trustworthy leadership, and are the least concerned with wellbeing. They want their employers to have a consistent purpose, supported by robust processes. They are the least interested in technology and innovation.

Baby Boomers are middle of the road on most things, but are particularly favourable towards having robust processes, clear KPIs and accountability frameworks, and to have a clear level of autonomy in work.

Cooling down the burnout

The research also showed some clear differentiation between what Singaporean knowledge workers across different industries are feeling and looking for:

IT and technology: Respondents from the tech sector gave the highest scores to their managers for being competent and communicating well. Although not inspirational, IT leaders are seen to lead by example. Perhaps, as a result, IT workers are less likely to feel burned out, Slack suggested.

Financial services: Notably much less focused on teamwork, collaboration and wellbeing as being the keys to success, respondents from the banking sector were the most likely to want more meaning in their job. They also reported some of the highest rates of burnout, dissatisfaction and quiet quitting.

Retail: Singapore’s retail knowledge workers seem to be more positive than their peers in other industries right now. Half (51%) say they feel strongly about doing the right thing by their employer and are happy to go “above and beyond”. At 42%, retail also has the lowest proportion of workers who say they’ve felt burned out during the past 12 months.

Government: There seems to be a significant opportunity in Singapore’s government sector to tap into the benefits of collaborative technology, Slack notes. More than half (56%) of government employees say that email is still their primary method of communication with customers and partners - a proportion significantly higher than other industries in the survey. Government workers are also more likely to be working from a mix of home and office environments, with around two-thirds (67%) saying they are working this way.

A new perspective on the office

While employees are increasingly working from home, the office environment is still valued, the Slack study found. When asked what they felt the office was best suited for, Singaporean knowledge workers cited team building, social connection, collaboration and brainstorming, and one-on-one/development meetings. Activities like progress updates, company town halls, learning programmes and knowledge sharing sessions were perceived as less critical if they are held in an office. This suggests that a lot of time can be potentially saved by conducting these activities virtually, using collaborative technology.

Explore 

Read the Leadership and the war for talent report.

*Slack’s new research, conducted by Honeycomb Strategy, was based on responses from 1,000+ Singaporean knowledge workers within organisations of 100+ employees.

This is the second iteration of this Slack research in Singapore, with The Reinvention of Work study carried out in October 2021. The Slack State of Work report, a global survey including 1,000 Singaporean knowledge workers, is similar research that was carried out by GlobalWebIndex in March 2020, prior to the pandemic.

Cisco: Hybrid work has improved lives

Hybrid work has improved total employee well-being, work-life balance, and performance in Singapore, according to a new global Cisco study. While organisations have benefited from higher employee productivity levels, more needs to be done to build an inclusive culture and fully embed hybrid work arrangements to boost readiness levels and enhance employee experience.

Cisco’s Employees are ready for hybrid work, are you? study found that one in two (56%) employees in Singapore believe that quality of work has improved. A similar number (60%) felt that their productivity has enhanced. Three-quarters of employees (76%) also feel their role can now be performed just as successfully remotely as in the office. 

However, the survey of 28,000 employees from 27 countries, including over 1,000 respondents from Singapore, reveals that only one in five (19%) Singapore employees think that their company is ’very prepared’ for a hybrid work future. This is lower than the global average of 23%.

“The last two years have shown us that work is no longer about where we go, but what we do. In a hybrid normal, Singapore employees and employers alike experience tangible benefits across key indications – from improved employee well-being to better productivity and work performance,” said Andy Lee, MD, Cisco, Singapore and Brunei. 

“However, hybrid work is more than just supporting a safe office re-entry. Leaders need to rethink how to cultivate an inclusive culture, place employees – their experience, engagement, and wellbeing – at the centre, and modernise their networking and security infrastructure to provide a seamless, secure and inclusive employee experience.”

Cisco’s research examined the impact of hybrid working on five categories of wellbeing – emotional, financial, mental, physical, and social wellbeing – with over three-quarters of respondents (79%) saying hybrid and remote working has improved various aspects of their wellbeing.

Time away from the office has improved work-life balance for 83% of employees in Singapore – a sentiment more significantly felt in the country compared to the global average of 79% and regional average of 81%. More flexible work schedules (61%) and significantly reduced or completely removed commuting times (50%) contributed to this improvement. Nearly two-thirds of people (70%) saved at least four hours per week when they worked from home, and over a quarter (28%) of respondents saved eight or more hours a week.

Four in five (82%) Singapore respondents also say that their financial wellbeing improved, with their average savings reaching to over US$9,000 a year. More than eight in 10 (84%) ranked savings on fuel and/or commuting among their top three areas for savings, followed by decreased spending on food and entertainment at 79%. Close to nine in 10 (87%) believe they can maintain these savings over the long term, and 65% would take these savings into account when considering changing jobs.

In addition, seven in 10 (72%) respondents believe their physical fitness has improved with remote working. A similar number (70%) say hybrid working has positively impacted their eating habits. A majority (74%) indicate that remote working has improved family relationships and half (50%) of the respondents reporting strengthened relationships with friends.

The future of work is hybrid, according to seven in 10 employees in Singapore (71%) who say they want a combination of a remote and in-office hybrid working model in the future, compared to a fully remote (25%) and fully in-office (4%) experience.

However, there is uncertainty over how different work styles might impact inclusion and engagement. Half of Singapore respondents believe micromanaging behaviours had increased with hybrid and remote working. Trust from managers that employees can be productive has been a common and critical theme in their working experience.

“Trust has become a core tenet in our hybrid work normal, alongside flexibility, and empathetic leadership. Our latest research indicates that more needs to be done to fully integrate hybrid work arrangements for employees, especially when it comes to building an inclusive culture powered by efficient technology infrastructure in this new world of hybrid working that employees clearly prefer. Leaders and companies need to commit to actions that go a long way in retaining their people – listening, building trust, and leading with empathy, flexibility, and fairness,” said Anupam Trehan, Senior Director, People & Communities, Cisco, APJC.

At the same time, technology will remain critical to enabling a future with increasingly diverse and distributed workforces. Six out of 10 (60%) respondents believe having connectivity issues regularly is career-limiting for remote workers. As a result, 84% say networking infrastructure is essential for a seamless working from home experience, but around 30% say their company still needs the right networking infrastructure.

Around three-quarters (73%) of respondents in Singapore believe that cybersecurity is critical for making hybrid working safe, but only two-thirds (66%) say their organisation currently has the right capabilities and protocols in place. Only 64% think that all employees across their company understand the cyber risks involved with hybrid work, and 65% think business leaders are familiar with the risks.

“Technology is a key enabler of growth in the hybrid workplace, and it needs to be underpinned by end-to-end integrated security. Organisations should prioritise a robust security posture that underpins every digitalisation effort and ensure that cybersecurity is at the core of their technology architecture. 

"Amid the expanded attack surface area today as more users and devices connect to corporate applications, organisations will need to bolster security and build greater vigilance through enabling secure access, and protecting users and endpoints in the network and the cloud,” said Juan Huat Koo, Director, Cybersecurity, Cisco ASEAN.

Six in 10 working Singaporeans say they are burned out

The pandemic has caused Singaporeans to reassess their priorities and for 49% of Singaporeans, their career is no longer one of them. With 62% of Singaporean employees stating they suffer from burnout and 57% stating that they have an average or even poor work-life balance, new research* by Employment Hero found that employers can play a much bigger role in employee wellbeing in order to maintain and attract talent.

According to the payroll, HR and people management solution provider, burnout can be triggered by a combination of different factors, and amongst the Singaporean workforce, the pandemic’s impact on their job, as well as their mental health seem to be the key drivers. The Employee Wellness Report, which polled 1,005 Singaporean employees, found that as many as 45% of employees said that the pandemic has negatively impacted their career progression. The research also showed that 68% of Singporean workers are stressed about their finances, and 65% of workers had said that their stress levels were severely impacted by the effects of COVID on the workplace. 

Despite financial woes and burnout, mental health support appears to be an area in which Singaporean employers have managed to make impactful changes, with 47% of employees agreeing that their company is very supportive of employees’ mental health. Despite this, it was also found that 53% of employees are uncomfortable discussing mental health issues in the workplace, and 49% of employees are concerned that reporting mental health issues would lead to repercussions in the workplace.

Employment Hero said valuable rewards to be gained by businesses that choose to focus on employee wellness, with employees who rated their employer’s commitment to wellness as good stating they were 45% more likely to say they were loyal to a business.

Source: Employment Hero. Thompson.

“The past couple of years have been eye-opening for a lot of us, so it’s unsurprising that at large, priorities have changed for many. The need for greater work-life balance was already clear before the pandemic, but with many employees feeling the aftermath of these tumultuous years in the forms of mental health issues and burnout, the workplace needs to adapt in order to create a working environment that is able to retain and attract top talent,” said Ben Thompson, CEO and Co-founder of Employment Hero.

“From our report, it’s clear that employees are seeking mental health support, balance, and education, and employers must step up and offer the right resources to create a happy and productive workforce. By taking small steps in the right direction such as increasing mental health support budgets, prioritising financial education, and implementing remote working practices that enable a greater work-life balance, employers can quickly pivot towards the kind of people-first approach that employees will truly be able to appreciate.” 

“Ultimately, workers will stay with companies that support them, and leave the ones that don’t, so in order to retain top-tier talent and foster a successful workforce, it’s critical for employers to take these demands to take action where it’s most needed,” Thompson added.

Report highlights include:

- Employees with poor work-life balance are 52% more likely to feel burnt out.

- Those who feel burnt out are 42% more likely to feel that their productivity is low.

- Employees with poor productivity are 282% more likely to feel a poor sense of work-life balance, creating a vicious cycle of burnout and mental stress.

Details:

Read the report

*Employment Hero’s 2022 Employee Wellness Report analysed 1,005 Singaporean employees to understand employee wellbeing at work especially in relation to mental health, career wellness and financial wellbeing. Research was also conducted in Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand and the UK.

Returning to work calls for travel and expense adjustments

Business processes had to undergo dramatic changes with lockdowns, but it's not a matter of 'business as usual again' when companies return to work, says Andy Watson, SVP & GM, Asia Pacific Japan & Greater China, SAP Concur.

According to Watson, examples of travel and expense-related changes that were made at the beginning of work-from-home mandates include:

- A slowdown in international business travel and its associated expenses.

- Temporarily ending expensed meals for business lunches, dinners, or in-office meetings.

- Increase in office expenses like monitors and chairs as employees furnish their home offices.

- New expenses to consider like Internet and mobile phone bills for employees who must work from home.

"New policies and processes need to be put in place to accommodate travel restrictions and changes in expenses. While finance managers need to stay flexible as the business environment continues to evolve, spend control and compliance should still be a high priority," Watson said.

Some questions that he suggested finance managers ask as they prepare for return to work to help keep control and compliance top of mind include:

What will travel look like for the company?

"Finance managers must work with travel and HR counterparts to determine the need for employee travel, if at all, and how to keep employees safe. A recent SAP Concur business traveller study found that 91% of Asia Pacific (APAC) business travellers feel concerned about resuming travel. They are especially worried getting sick themselves (55%) or infecting their family (51%)," Watson pointed out.

"Clear guidelines should be developed, even if they are temporary or evolving, so it’s clear who can travel, when they can travel, and how they can travel. Duty of care plans should also be re-evaluated and businesses should ensure they know at all times where employees are traveling for business and how they can communicate with them in the event of an emergency."

Watson also cautioned that organisations that are not proactively protecting employee wellbeing on business trips could risk consequences. "Fifty-one percent of APAC business travellers told the same study they would ask to limit travel if their company does not implement the measures they want. About 14% would look for a position that does not require travel – including 5% who would consider a position at a different company," he said.

Who needs to approve travel and expenses?

"While it may be temporary, businesses may have to implement a more stringent approval policy for travel and other expenses. Due to health concerns related to travel and the need to conserve cash flow, business leaders like CFOs may want to have final approval over all travel and expenses until the situation stabilises," Watson observed.

"To help ensure new approval processes don’t cause delays and inefficiencies, finance managers should implement an automated solution that streamlines the process and allows business leaders to review and approve travel requests, expenses, and invoices right from their phones."

What types of expenses are within policy?

Watson noted that prior to social distancing, employees may have been allowed to take clients out for entertainment. Additionally, in-person team meetings held during the lunch hour may have included expensed lunches. "As employees return to work, finance managers need to determine if these activities and expenses will be allowed again. Clear guidelines must be put in place and expense policies need to be updated to reflect any changes," Watson said.

What happens to home office items that were purchased?

"While new office equipment may have been purchased for employees’ home offices, they remain the business’s property and what to do with them as employees return to work needs to be determined," Watson highlighted.

"Perhaps employees will continue to work from home a few days a week and need to keep the equipment to ensure productivity. However, if a full return to work is expected, finance managers have options that can maximise their asset investment and possibly save the company money, like replacing old office equipment with the new purchases, reselling to a used office furniture company, or donating to a non-profit. Such considerations will become increasingly relevant, with a recent SAP Concur finance study revealing that 71% of employees in APAC want their organisations to subsidise or fully pay for the expenses needed to create a productive home working environment. Employer provision of IT peripherals is widely expected," he elaborated.

How can cost control be ensured?

"For many businesses, cashflow will be tight for the foreseeable future. Spend needs to be proactively governed and managed to help ensure recovery and stability. An important aspect of controlling costs is having full visibility of expenses throughout the company," Watson said.

"Some organisations have experienced the pressing need to deal with paper invoices that are continuing to be mailed to their largely empty offices. Invoice digitisation and automation will let firms take control of the accounts payable process. With control and real time visibility into their liabilities, they can accurately forecast their cash positions and make better business decisions."

Watson recommends implementing an automated spend management solution that integrates expense and invoice management as it brings together a business' spend, simplifying finance managers’ work and giving them a better understanding of where they can save, where to renegotiate, and where to redirect budgets based on plans and priorities.

"Once finance managers have asked themselves the questions above and determined how they want to approach travel and expense procedures, it’s vital they create guidelines and communicate clearly to employees. Compliance can only be ensured if employees have a clear understanding of what has and has not changed with travel and expense policies, and what’s expected as they return to work," he concluded.

Three must-have gadgets for working remotely

IDC’s Future of Work Readiness Index Assessment 2018 forecasts that up to 50% of employees will be working remotely by 2020. According to Poly, this WFA (work from anywhere) trend means that individuals will need the right tools to be productive.

Besides the mobile phone and laptop, Poly suggests the following gadgets for portable productivity:

Portable battery pack

The gold standard for 2019 should be a minimum of 20,000 mAh, which should last up to five full charges.

Look for battery packs that support the Power Delivery standard as they allow laptops to be topped up via USB-C.

Poly also suggests setting the phone to ‘airplane mode’ and not using it while charging for quicker results.

Multiport adapter

Consider investing in a sturdy multiport hub or adapter. These usually come with multiple USB ports, video output connectors, and possibly memory card slots.

Portable speakerphone

Rather than using the built-in laptop mic for conference calls amidst “Can you hear me?” and “I’m sorry, can you please repeat that?”, try a portable speakerphone like the Plantronics Calisto series. These can be used in huddle rooms, for example.

The Calisto 3200 is a corded USB speakerphone that turns the computer into a wideband audio speakerphone and is built for unified communications (UC) applications and softphones from Avaya, Cisco, IBM, Microsoft and more. It can be connected by a cable to the laptop.

Source: Poly. The Calisto 5200 in action. The speakerphone is the black cylindrical device on the table, connected by a cable to a smartphone.

The more powerful Calisto 5200 is designed for hands-free conference calls, collaboration or web conferencing. The unit features 360-degree room coverage with active background noise reduction, and provides the choice of a USB-A, USB-C, and 3.5 mm connectors.