A cautious approach as employers gear up for staff to return to the office with change in WFH rules

NO RUSH TO RETURN

Some companies are not rushing to return to the office either, choosing instead to take things slow. 

Professional services firm Precursor Assurance plans to take it “step by step”, allowing about 30 per cent of employees to return to the office from Jan 1.

“We just want to take a step back first, since everything is working well. We are not rushing. (We will) take a step slower just to be more conservative,” said managing director Tan Khoon Guan. 

This lower percentage would work well, given that the company also plans to roughly halve its office space in June, having reconsidered their need for space amid the pandemic, he said. 

Workers who would get priority to return are those who perform administrative roles, as they may need to be in the office to receive documents, he said.

“For the majority of the people who don’t need to go to the office, things are very normal. They’re able to execute duties. … (But) we will be easing in … because at the end of the day, there is still relevance in meeting face-to-face,” added Mr Tan. 

He noted that there will always be a mix of attitudes towards returning to the office, but employees generally understand the direction the firm is taking, given that humans are “social animals” that require interaction. 

At cybersecurity firm Horangi Cyber Security, there is no rush to return either, as the company has been operating on a “remote-first” strategy since the start of the pandemic. 

“During this period, there’s been a lot of upsides. If there’s a restriction, it doesn’t really affect our business. It doesn’t (matter) whether you’re in the office. From that aspect, (working from home) has been quite helpful,” said the company’s chief executive officer Mr Paul Hadjy. 

Such a strategy also “creates a level playing field”, as workers from different regions all collaborate virtually, he said.

Mr Hadjy doesn’t think the ability to meet in person will have “a major sort of effect on our business” at this point. Still, the company will give its employees the option to return to the office, especially for those “craving physical interaction”. 

“People generally still meet up from time to time and we have the office for people to do meetings like if it needs to be in-person, if it’s a big planning for a major project,” added Mr Hadjy. 

“But it’s not necessary every day and the majority of the work that we do can be done remotely, and I think there’s advantages for everyone to do that.”

Moreover, employees’ safety remains a priority for companies like RV Healthcare. Being in the pharmaceutical industry means it’s even more important that they walk the talk and prioritise employees’ safety, said Mr Gathani. 

“My boss is a firm believer that face-to-face can never be replaced by technology, because that feels very different. So he prefers returning to the office, but at the same time, he understands, and socially we need to be responsible,” he said.