Singaporeans are Working from Home Again Due To Covid19
May 28, 2021
Ministry of Manpower tightens Safe Management Measures (SMMs) in response to heightening cases of COVID-19 cases- How do we adapt?
Singapore, Singapore - May 28, 2021 —
Work From Home is now a default arrangement in Singapore
Singapore, May 2021- The Ministry of Manpower issued an advisory on the 14 of May regarding tightening the SMM Requirements at the workplace, stating, “Employers must ensure that all employees who are able to work from home do so.”
"Employers are required to implement work from home as the default arrangement. All employees whose roles can be performed from home must do so. Employers must provide the necessary facilities and direct their employees to work from home wherever possible. Only employees who are unable to work from home due to the nature of the work (e.g. the role requires access to equipment only accessible at the workplace) can continue to work on-site."
From May 16 to June 13, 2021, Ministry of Manpower employs stricter SMMs in the workplace as a preemptive measure to the spread of the virus among employees. While the previous regulation allows 50% of work from home employees to work in their physical workplace, the updated advisory aims to minimise the employees' exposure by working solely from home.
The advisory states, "Employers are encouraged to support as many employees in working from home as possible. This will help to limit the number of employees exposed at the workplace at any point in time, and reduce crowding in common areas, e.g. pantries, toilets, lifts. Having more employees work from home will also help sustain business operations should a case emerge at the workplace."
The Ministry of Manpower and Ministry of Trade and Industry ensure the employers' adherence to the new measures. In fact, they are actively inspecting workplaces and issuing fines to companies who breach the SMMs. Among the 530 workplaces inspected, 11 have been fined due to the failure to follow the setup. This action will continue to maintain a proper implementation of the latest workplace guidelines.
How do companies and employees adapt to this?
While safety measures are executed to maintain everyone's safety, COVID-19 exposure is not the only factor that challenges the companies and their employees. After more than a year of work from home arrangement, a large number of Singaporean remote employees experience burnout in doing tasks at work without proper automation due to the need to swiftly adapt to the work from home setup.
Since the pandemic took place, the demand for digitalisation has aroused. This includes the upgrades for the communication channels, the safety of company information, and the efficiency of operations. Having to deal with alternatives while figuring the right processes to carry out the business adds to the dilemma of remote employees and the companies they work with. Include the sudden adjustments to their work environment and routine. The upside of this is that employees are able to enhance their self-discipline and independence. They also receive more opportunities to upskill while working at home. In support, some employers provide online training to help their employees handle their work in which technical help is limited.
Like automation and technological upgrades for remote work, work from home employees also venture into setting up their home offices to embrace the "default work setup". The demand for ergonomic office chairs and office tables increases as e-tailers reach out for safer and more convenient shopping and delivery of work from home essentials.
Megafurniture, a furniture e-tailer company in Singapore, actively promotes work from home efficiency with a number of tips and ergonomic office furniture products it offers.
"It is not just about having a place to sit or a surface to work on. A home office shall make an employee feel at ease and involved. There is something in the physical workplace that makes it conducive for work. Ergonomics is one of which. This is what we want to bring to every home office."
We still have a long way to go.
As the world moves towards the new normal, companies and employees would have to embrace the changes and challenges during the transition. While the pandemic is going on, or even after, the safety and welfare of the employees shall be taken care of.
Read Article: Your Ultimate Guide to Working from Home: Tips, Tricks, Home Office Design
About Megafurniture:
Megafurniture is a Singapore-based furniture eCommerce business established in 2017. Since its foundation, the Company has extended its endeavors to providing exquisite, resilient, and multi-functional furniture products inspiring life to every place the team sets foot on. The Company offers a wide variety of tasteful and cost-conscious home and office furniture collections. Megafurniture’s mission is to deliver impeccable furniture at affordable prices with quality after-sales services. Mega Team believes in a culture of innovation aspiring to bring a large variety of furniture to its fans via innovative, just in time business model.
Recognised as one of Singapore’s finest furniture e-tailers by local critics and spectators, Megafurniture embraces a proactive technique in curating and delivering its products. With the utilisation of sustainable raw materials, versatile end products, and its phenomenal customer service approach, the Company leverages its way for progression, resulting in its recent regional expansion across South East Asia.
To learn more about Mega Furniture, please visit megafurniture.sg.
Contact Info:
Name: Ge-Ann Cris Garcia
Email: Send Email
Organization: Megafurniture
Address: 29 Tai Seng Ave #03-03 Natural Cool Lifestyle Hub Singapore 534119
Website: https://megafurniture.sg/
Release ID: 89020766
More News
‘Systematically dismantled’: Hegseth’s new offensive against China’s Confucius Institutes
Just weeks before Donald Trump’s second trip to China this year and his third meeting with President Xi Jinping, whom he has called a “truly great” friend, his administration is intensifying its crackdown on Confucius Institutes – Beijing-backed centres that promote Chinese language and culture at universities abroad. Long viewed by critics as instruments of Beijing’s soft power and cultural diplomacy, the institutes are back in the crosshairs of US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who says the...
Thousands evacuated and flights grounded as Typhoon Champi hits eastern China
Typhoon Champi continued to batter China’s eastern coast on Saturday, grounding over a hundred flights and prompting the authorities to relocate tens of thousands of people, while weakening as it moved towards Japan. Flights from airports in Shanghai as well as Fujian and Zhejiang provinces were grounded. China Eastern Airlines said it had cancelled 39 domestic flights to and from Shanghai’s two main airports while flights to and from the cities of Fuzhou and Wenzhou were also affected. The...
How competition between Chinese and Indian firms could reshape African drug markets
China is challenging India’s long-held dominance of the African market for antimalarial drugs in 12 of the continent’s hardest-hit countries, according to a new study. Last year, Chinese exports of antimalarial drugs reached US$89.3 million, nearly matching India’s US$89.6 million, according to Indian market research company Sol Gravitas. The gap has closed significantly since 2021, when Indian exports stood at US$121 million compared with US$62.6 million for China. Separately, the study...
Anahat Singh Suffers Defeat In Semifinals Of Silicon Valley Squash Tournament
The world No. 15 and reigning world junior champion, Anahat went down 11-5, 6-11, 4-11, 7-11 for her third defeat to the Malaysian opponent in as many meetings.
Bodhana Sivanandan Breaks 38-Year-Old Record, To Become Youngest IM At Age Of 11
Indian-origin English chess player Bodhana Sivanandan has become the youngest female International Master (IM) at the age of 11, breaking a 38-year-old record set by Judit Polgar.
China carries out in-depth investigation of Turkey’s largest rare earth deposit
Chinese researchers have mapped the complex geological evolution of Turkey’s Kizilcaoren deposit, offering fresh insights into the country’s most significant known rare earth reserve while dampening expectations over its commercial potential. Although the findings shed light on how rare earth elements accumulate in carbonatite-related formations, the researchers concluded that the site was unlikely to emerge as a major global alternative to existing producers any time soon. Lead scientist...
Xi's key remarks on advancing full and rigorous Party self-governance
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has in recent years stressed that the Party's full and rigorous self-governance is an unceasing endeavor and that self-reform is a journey to which there is no end. Here are some of his key remarks on the topic.
Lionel Messi Receives Spain's Top Sports Award For His Glittering Football Career
Previous winners of the sports award include tennis greats Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal, marathon record-breaker Eliud Kipchoge and US skier Lindsey Vonn.
Quad Injury To Keep Bukayo Saka Out Of Action For At Least 2 Months
Saka had to be replaced inside the opening 10 minutes of Wednesday's 2-2 draw at Bayern with a quad injury that could reportedly keep him sidelined for at least two months.
'We'll Get It Back': Michael Carrick Confident Of Turning Things Around At Manchester United
After a successful interim spell in charge in the second half of last season, the former England midfielder was appointed on a permanent basis just five months ago.
PSG's Ligue 1 Clash Against Arch-Rivals Lyon Postponed Due To Violent Protests In Paris
The date change for PSG causes a potential headache as the match will now clash with the Ballon d'Or ceremony taking place in London on Monday evening.
Newest Chinese swimming sensation is already turning heads, and he’s only 12 years old
China may have unearthed another swimming sensation in 12-year-old Hu Rundong, who turned heads by winning gold, setting records and meeting first-class standards at a provincial event this week. Hu emerged as the stand-out performer in the junior swimming division at the 21st Jiangsu Provincial Games, winning five gold and four silver medals across 10 events. Competing in the boys’ 12-year-old category, the Suzhou native competed in breaststroke, butterfly, freestyle and individual medley...
YOUR NEWS, OUR NETWORK.
Do you have Great News you want to tell the world?
Be it updates about your business or your community, you can make sure that it’s heard by submitting your story to our network reaching hundreds of news sites across 6 verticals.