Shenton Way, a main CBD thoroughfare became all but deserted, as evidenced by this photo from the Straits Times Singapore.
by RAYMOND LIM
Singapore is a highly developed and hyper-connected country with 5.8 million people in an area of 724 square kilometers (279.5 square miles); the population density is exceedingly high. And if you’ve never been to Singapore, you can only imagine the insane hustle and bustle of its Central Business District (CBD). But, as in many other big cities around the world, all that changed with a mass quarantine.
On April 7, 2020, Singapore began its lockdown, also known as the “Circuit Breaker.” Most businesses came to a halt, and the streets were practically empty. This Circuit Breaker is being lifted in a 3-phased approach. The first phase was implemented on June 2, the second phase on June 19, and the third phase—our new normal—is still to come. This approach is slowly providing greater freedom and interconnectivity across the island as we move toward a new normal.
Homeworking
During the Circuit Breaker, working from home was the default mode for the vast majority of Singaporeans. However, it was the first time many had ever experienced "homeworking," and its sudden mandate was often daunting and stressful.
For most Singaporeans, working from home is not an easy feat. A majority of us live in apartments, often with multiple generations under the same roof. Some parents were suddenly managing work, meal prep, homeschooling, childcare, and elder care—all at the same time. The new lower boundaries between work and personal time created a tendency to work longer, due to the inability to set a defined routine.
Limited space, distractions, social isolation, and not having the equipment we were used to accessing at the office are just some of the challenges we face. Rarely do we have the luxury of space to accommodate a proper desk or chair. Most of us are either working on the dining table, couch, and even our beds. At the early stage of the Circuit Breaker, there were also instances when the internet network infrastructure could not cope with the sudden surge of bandwidth, and frequent connection disruptions were encountered.
With homeworking, there has also been a need to manage internal distractions like distressing thoughts and anxieties. Frustrations escalate from time to time, tarnishing our relationships with family members and affecting our mental well-being. Unfortunately, there is no way that we can step away to decompress, either. With our warm and humid climate, we can’t really enjoy a hot cup of coffee while working on the balcony or patio enjoying the urban scenery. All-day air conditioning alleviates the heat and humidity issues, but we’re still in tight indoor quarters, and the utility bill has been soaring.
Still, working from home quickly became the new norm in Singapore, with both companies and employees needing to embrace the idea and adapt. Some companies are aware of the homeworking challenges and have rolled out initiatives that support their employees in accessing/purchasing equipment and furniture for their homes.
The Return to the Workplace
As the number of infected cases started to decline, the phased approach is allowing more businesses to bring employees back to the office.
The Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system and buses began to get crowded during peak hours once again. Now, however, temperature screening is carried out at the entrance to the train station. Station ambassadors and floor markings also ensure commuters adhere to social distancing requirements while waiting for the train.
Although everyone is wearing masks on the train in this photo from The NewPaper, the fear of contracting the virus still lingers. Most commuters are behaving responsibly in public places, trying their best to keep at least a 1-meter (3-foot) distance while standing and leaving an empty seat in between each other while sitting. In order to not incur the glares of others, nobody talks loudly on the train. In a nutshell, it is pretty safe to commute on public transport.
There is still some concern regarding the risk of infection, anxiety over congestion on public transport, and asymptomatic cases in the workplace and community. The government requires businesses to put defined Safe Management for Workplaces guidelines in place to instil confidence and keep the infection rate controllable and low when people return to work.
Safe Management for Workplaces measures include:
Wearing a mask in the workplace
Telecommuting when possible
Safe entry QR code for contact tracing
Temperature taking
Staggered work and break hours
Flexible working hours to avoid peak hour travel
Splitting teams
Emphasizing personal hygiene
Reduced physical touchpoints (e.g., via auto sliding door, light sensor)
Increased cleaning of the workplace
Evacuation plan for unwell employees and manage confirmed cases
Appoint Safety Management Officers
Ubiquitous disinfecting agents and hand sanitizer
Provide snacks/beverages in individual packaging
Demarking on the floor to adhere to social distancing requirements
Prevent socializing/congregating in large groups
The government of Singapore set up a COVID-19 task force at an early stage of this global pandemic. They have done a remarkable job to keep the infection under control. Besides wearing a mask and reinforcing personal hygiene, they have introduced a tracing app, and Singaporeans will soon to be issued wearable tracking devices to track and manage infections. Infected cases are isolated from their family to prevent further spread. Also, there are consistent and regular updates from the media and the government.
To further control the spread, strategic proactive testing and epidemiological investigations are carried out to identify the source of the virus and institute measures to prevent the spread. The confidence level of Singaporeans on how the government is managing the situation is high. There was even a general election held on July 10.
Rethinking Where and How We Work
Looking forward, in Singapore and the entire Southeast Asia region, there will continue to be at least be two workplaces—the office and the home.
Office environments may evolve to support more social engagement and collaborative work. They will be agile and easily configurable to adapt to changes in headcount as people are encouraged to choose where they work. But, how can businesses instill confidence and safeguard their employees from the risk of infection? The key is to understand the occupancy density of the workplace, coupled with constant monitoring to prevent overcrowding and ensuring thorough cleaning for areas with occupancy.
Haworth Asia Workplace Analytics connects workplaces with high-resolution, live occupancy sensors. Downloadable daily heat maps can be disseminated to janitorial cleaning services to identify areas for enhanced disinfecting. This helps reinforce protocols, instilling the confidence of employees working in the office.
A new “analytics kiosk mode” can be linked to a display at the workplace entry point, allowing employees to view real-time occupancy and avoid congested areas. Employees can also easily locate vacant seats through the display. Customized email alerts can be assigned to building representatives or ambassadors as a safeguard against high occupancy events, ensuring safe distancing is adhered to.
Touchless interaction and wider platform integration will become common in corporate spaces. The use of presence-activated sensors to switch on lights, open doors, and activate technologies will increase. The use of personal smart devices will reduce dependence on shared single application switches to control workplace equipment, reserve desks, manage the workplace environment, and connect to other equipment.
Amid all the challenges faced during the Circuit Breaker, it seems that we’ve gotten used to homeworking—and actually like it. People have found that working from home has its perks, like zero commuting time, spending more time with family, flexibility, a greater control over work-life balance, etc. A Straits Timesarticle shared a graphic to this effect (shown below). The information references a survey conducted by EngageRocket, in conjunction with the Singapore Human Resources Institute and the Institute for Human Resources Professionals, which showed that 9 out of 10 Singaporeans still want to continue working from home in some capacity, even when the pandemic is over.
The majority of us would prefer a balance between working from home and and working in the office. The whole COVID-19 situation has really opened our eyes to the possibilities of working from home—or anywhere outside the office—and this will change things for the corporate landscape here in Singapore. Companies will simply need to evolve, with programs, technology, and protocols in support of people working from home—or anywhere outside the office. This could also mean re-evaluating real estate options.
Decentralization has been part of the Master Plan developed by the Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) since 1991. Singapore has long recognized the benefits and has constantly improved on the transport infrastructure. Lower rental rates and better digital connectivity are persuading businesses to take up offices at the fringe of the CBD and in Business Hubs like Mapletree Business City and Paya Lebar Quarter.
This pandemic will likely to accelerate the decentralization of the CBD. More companies may think of moving out from the Central Business District to lower their footprint within the CBD area, reducing the high concentration of workforce in one location. This will also help fortify the business continuity plan and mitigate risks should any infectious cases arise in the workplace.
The COVID crisis brought Singapore’s offices, retail, hospitality, and entertainment businesses to a grinding stop, creating social disruption and an economic crisis unprecedented in recent times. To ensure business continuity, companies are adjusting their workplaces to cater to the new government’s Safe Management guidelines. We have seen corporations that embraced activity-based working prior to the infection adapt faster to these measures. Many who have not yet done so are taking this opportunity to review their workplace strategies and spaces to accommodate employee expectations and well-being in a forever changed—and changing—world.
A Personal Perspective
I miss the office, having a discussion with colleagues in the pantry, along the corridors, going for a run together after work… There is nothing like being together with a physical writing board, brainstorming, and working out a solution with colleagues.
Best wishes from Singapore!