S2E16: Will working in the office 5 days a week return?

Apr 20, 2025

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Recent high-profile office return mandates belie a broader availability of flexi-work options from more firms.

Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, get a headstart in your personal finance and career with The Straits Times.

Those of us who are humming along at a comfortable rhythm with hybrid work might have watched with worry recent developments of major firms insisting on five days in office a week by default.

After all, it seemed like an equilibrium was reached in the years following the Covid-19 pandemic of working remotely for at least part of the week.

Moreover, this comes after Singapore has issued landmark guidelines that make putting in place a process to fairly evaluate flexi-work arrangement requests compulsory.

To piece together what to make of this mixed outlook, ST correspondent Tay Hong Yi speaks with his guest, a two-decade corporate veteran who now works with industry players to put in place progressive workplace practices.

His guest is:

Mr Aslam Sardar, chief executive of the Institute for Human Resource Professionals

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:20 What is driving some employers to get workers back in the office so often?

5:11 Flexi-work arrangements are still more prevalent than before

7:57 Is there a chance of a “domino effect” of firms issuing office return mandates, one after the other?

15:31 How are employers here weighing up their options for office returns?

21:07 What to do if your employer asks you to return to the office more often

Read about recent moves to make flexi-work more pervasive here: https://str.sg/tgoM

Read Tay Hong Yi's articles: https://str.sg/w6cz

Follow Tay Hong Yi on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/AAxy

Host: Tay Hong Yi (hytay@sph.com.sg)