SINGAPORE, Jan 8 — A 43-year-old female Malaysian is one of the two community cases reported in Singapore Thursday, according to the republic’s Ministry of Health (MoH). Singapore’s border and health control measures are updated in response to the evolving global COVID-19 situation. Ireland is on Level 5 restrictions until 31 January 2021. According to Forbes , remote work can lead to increased productivity, which ultimately helps a business’s bottom line. As working from home continues to be the default mode of working for many, labour MP (Radin Mas) Melvin Yong proposed in Parliament on Oct 6 that the Government consider incorporating aspects of “right to disconnect” legislation in an upcoming advisory on mental health of workers. But things are more manageable now, after he sought to establish clear boundaries between work time and personal time. SINGAPORE, Oct 18 — After battling with the thought of quitting her job for weeks, Adriana (not her real name) decided that she had had enough after her third visit to the clinic for chest pains saw her being referred to the accident and emergency department in a hospital. She said she would often start work at 9am the next day despite staying up till 4am. Tan, 52, said the need to be ever-present at work and virtual meetings over Zoom quickly took a toll on him. Her bosses also thought that work could be delivered within tight timelines as everything was done digitally. For the rest of weekdays, last meetings of the day are scheduled to start at 5pm so that they can end by 6pm. Working from home works, but the office has its place too, Coronavirus microsite: Get latest updates, videos and graphics, First shipment of Covid-19 vaccine arrives in S'pore on SIA flight from Brussels, Identify, investigate, negotiate: How Singapore took steps to ensure access to Covid-19 vaccines, Some travellers from UK, New South Wales not allowed to enter Singapore from Dec 24, 29 new Covid-19 cases in Singapore, all imported, Malaysia to get AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, follows Pfizer-BioNTech deal, Not getting Covid-19 vaccine puts all at greater risk: Experts, S'pore to enter phase 3 on Dec 28: Groups of 8 to be allowed for social gatherings, 7 things to expect in phase 3: Dining out in larger groups, free Covid-19 vaccinations, Travellers from HK to serve 14-day SHN in S'pore from Dec 14, Muis urges Muslims to take Covid-19 vaccine once available, found to be safe and effective. Working Remotely from Singapore due to COVID-19. “Zoom meetings are also inherently more stressful because there are so many faces focused on you and when you feel that everyone is looking at you, it can be very straining.”. — TODAY pic SINGAPORE, Dec 28 — The authorities are investigating for possible links between a woman who served her stay-home notice at Mandarin Orchard Singapore and 13 previously reported cases who had been quarantined at the same … Under Level 5, only essential workers should travel to work. SINGAPORE – Employers must allow their staff to work from home as far as possible or risk facing penalties, said the multi-ministry task force handling the coronavirus outbreak. These websites will help you find remote work. Like Adriana, 25-year-old Stella (not her real name) also made the difficult decision to leave her job in the food and beverage industry because her neverending work was starting to affect her mental health. Soon enough, they will accept it,” he added. 198402868E. Such a law was first enacted in France in 2017. However, some human resource experts told TODAY that it is unrealistic to implement “right to disconnect” legislation in Singapore. Speaking to TODAY, she recounted how her days dragged on and were filled with unscheduled calls because being home meant that her colleagues and clients assumed she would be available for work calls at all times. This difference is something managers need to … The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has shut down three workplaces that made staff go back to working on-site unnecessarily when their work could have been completed from home. It is, therefore, important for supervisors to be enlightened. Until we resolve the issues, subscribers need not log in to access ST Digital articles. “It comes down to Asian culture and mentality. After entering Singapore, all PCA travellers, including Singapore PRs, have to serve a 14-day stay-home notice at a dedicated facility. Adriana, who worked in communications, found herself working seven days a week, often past midnight and during meal times. Singapore Covid-19: Need for boundaries when working from home Sunday, 18 Oct 2020 06:46 AM MYT Jonathan Tan, managing director of UnaBiz, an Internet of Things network operator, says he has initially struggled with the transition to working from home. The gift link for this subscriber-only article has expired. “My GP (general practitioner) said to me ‘Nowadays, people either get Covid-19 and suffer or they don’t and suffer while working.’. Since September 28, more employees in Singapore have been allowed to return to the workplace, although safe-management protocols must be in place and employers are encouraged to implement measures such as flexible working hours and staggered reporting times. How can you work and study from home effectively? ... the more people pretend to work from home and watch Netflix, the better. He noted that working from home has been beneficial on numerous fronts, such as by reducing congestion on public transport and in minimising the number of people coming together in the workplace. "We'd still like to see as far as possible a high degree of people working from home," Mr Wong said. Stella said she would work 12 to 15 hours a day, from the moment she woke up until past midnight where she went straight to bed. Employers should continue to … She was told after a series of tests that her chest pains were a symptom of anxiety and she had experienced a panic attack. COVID-19: Jail, fines for employers who do not allow employees to work from home where possible Office workers at Raffles Place in Singapore. Over at web development and digital marketing firm FirstCom Solutions, general manager Lynn Wong said that about 80 of her client-facing employees have been given corporate mobile phones. Unemployment claims in the U.S. are skyrocketing, setting a modern record of … She added that implementing such rules to promote work-life balance has to start with the leadership team, and there is “no use” for the company’s human resources department to implement such policies if the managers are still going to demand for work to be done after hours. While she worked late nights previously, working until 4am only became commonplace after she began working from home. Employers should continue to keep this as the default arrangement unless employees have a demonstrable need to return to the workplace, such as to use specialised equipment, said Education Minister Lawrence Wong in a virtual multi-ministry press conference on Thursday (Aug 6). All rights reserved. “It was horrible because I had to react to a lot of issues that had to be resolved right away with our partners. Singapore's Covid Success Isn't Easily Replicated The model requires an amount of state intervention and compliance that might be less feasible in other parts of the world. The task force is still reviewing the work-from-home arrangement and may modify the rules, with feedback from employers who have requested for more flexibility, said Mr Wong, who co-chairs the multi-ministry task force tackling the pandemic. Sign up for our daily updates here and get the latest news delivered to your inbox. If you have been exercising overseas employment but are now working remotely from Singapore due to travel restrictions caused by COVID-19, we are prepared to treat you as not exercising an employment in Singapore, if … By registering, you agree to our T&C and Privacy Policy. SINGAPORE – The Ministry of Health (MOH) has confirmed the detection of 24 new cases of COVID-19 infection in Singapore as of noon on Monday (4 January), taking the country’s total case count to 58,721. The Living with COVID-19 plan sets out how we should live and work. Employers must also ensure that such employees continue to work from home for at least half of their working time, and no more than half of such employees are at the workplace at any point in time. The woman, a 23-year-old work permit holder from Malaysia, was among five new cases of Covid-19 infection reported yesterday, all of which were imported. New Work from home Jobs in Singapore available today on JobStreet - Quality Candidates, Quality Employers Workers in an organisation that has more than 50 employees are forbidden from sending or replying to emails after certain hours. This is especially needed at a time when workaholism is perpetuated due to employees’ fear of losing their jobs amid the current economic situation, she said. She was unable to take breaks during the day and was forced to skip many meals. All the cases are imported and asymptomatic, and they had already been placed on Stay-Home Notice (SHN) or isolated upon arrival in Singapore. Carmen Wee, a veteran HR practitioner, said one way employers can create better work-life balance for their employees is to build trust and stop micromanaging. “They are unable to disconnect as they don’t really check the time and they get very engrossed with replying to messages at any time of the day. SINGAPORE — From next Monday (Sept 28), workers who have been home-based during the Covid-19 pandemic may return to offices for up to half of their total working time. Read 3 articles daily and stand to win ST rewards, including the ST News Tablet worth $398. SINGAPORE - The working from home arrangement will continue in order to guard against potential Covid-19 transmission. Since remote working began for his team, Adam Esoof Piperdy, chief executive officer and founder of events company Unearthed Productions, decided to purchase workplace communication platform Slack to create a distinction between work messages and casual chats on WhatsApp. However, Senior Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad, in his reply to Yong, noted that since many workers in Singapore are employed in companies covering different time zones, it might not be feasible to pass laws that would give workers the right to ignore work calls and emails after business hours. Share gift link below with your friends and family. Dow is a global materials science company. In Hong Kong, all work related injuries must be covered by an employees’ compensation insurance. “I even had to take a work call before going to the A&E because we were just really short handed,” said Adriana, in her mid-20s. The coronavirus pandemic is slashing jobs by the day. Piperdy has also implemented mandatory no-meeting days on Friday as a “mental break for everybody just to chill out, kind of like extended weekend”. Working from home does not equate to not working, but it does cause people to work differently. Other countries such as Italy and the Philippines have since taken steps to push forth similar legislation. “With the work phone, they can actually detach (themselves) from needing to check on the phone (outside) of working hours, as compared (to) using their own phones,” she said. With “homeworking” taking root amid the Covid-19 pandemic, many employees in Singapore find themselves being pushed to the limits, as the boundaries between work and home become blurred. (File photo: Marcus Mark Ramos) SPH Digital News / Copyright © 2020 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Co. Regn. Employers should check with its existing insurance providers to ensure that their existing work injury insurance covers any injuries arising out of or in the course of the employee’s employment when the employee works from home. SINGAPORE: AIA Singapore employees will receive S$1,000 as part of the company’s work from home assistance scheme to support staff members amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Singapore News -Months of working from home lead to calls for adopting flexi-work as standard practice.. ... Telecommuting amid Covid-19 pandemic paves way for new workplace culture. Singapore’s data centers get a big Covid-19 bounce from people stuck at home logging in all day. The task force is still reviewing the work-from-home arrangement and may modify the rules, with feedback from employers. SINGAPORE - The working from home arrangement will continue in order to guard against potential Covid-19 transmission.. And it is not only employees who have had to grapple with mental stress and long hours; even those in management positions have had their fair share of problems in dealing with the new work arrangements. No. This, he said, has helped to keep community transmission at bay. He arrived in Singapore from Japan on 26 November and was placed on Stay-Home Notice (SHN) at a dedicated facility until 10 December. One of them, Jonathan Tan, managing director of UnaBiz, an Internet of Things network operator, told TODAY that he had initially struggled with the transition to working from home. But a log-in is still required for our PDFs. By For all (new and existing) Work Permit, Training Work Permit and S Pass holders entering Singapore from 1 January 2021, you must buy medical insurance with a coverage of at least $10,000 for their medical expenses if they develop COVID-19 symptoms or test positive within 14 days of arrival in Singapore. Yong had first urged the Government to consider a “right to disconnect” law in August during the debate on the President’s Address in parliament. Anyone in Singapore who requires a coronavirus test will be able to get one from an approved provider from Dec. 1 as the country seeks to resume more economic and social activities. He has also made it known to his employees that after 6pm, they do not need to respond to any work-related WhatsApp messages. Angela Kuek, director of recruitment firm Meyer Consulting Group, said: “I think they can encourage these kinds of practices, but how much of it is actually put in play or how successful all these can be is another question. (PHOTO: Reuters/Edgar Su) SINGAPORE – The Ministry of Health (MOH) has confirmed the detection of 23 new cases of COVID-19 infection in Singapore as of noon on Friday (8 January), taking the country’s total case count to 58,836. I decided to speak to you directly today to explain why we need to make this major move now. Coronavirus: Singapore should encourage working from home over closing ... authorities would be better off encouraging half the country’s employees to work from home … They can read the article in full after signing up for a free account. Wee said that if employees are unable to set boundaries through open communication with their managers — which she says should be the first step — they should talk to their HR personnel in a confidential setting. SINGAPORE — The Ministry of Health (MOH) confirmed 29 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore on Saturday (9 January), taking the country’s total case count to 58,865. You have reached your limit of subscriber-only articles this month. To help their employees disconnect from work, some bosses TODAY spoke to have implemented new practices and ways of working to enable their staff to get work done and prioritise personal and family time. He was subsequently conveyed to SGH in an ambulance. — TODAY, Singapore reports 29 new cases of Covid-19 infection, all imported, Third Covid-19 infection at Singapore’s Crowne Plaza Changi Airport; prelim test finds case has more infectious UK strain, Orchard Road stores, restaurants across Singapore among places visited by Covid-19 cases while infectious. With coronavirus community cases tapering down and with Phase 3 of Singapore’s reopening around the corner, is it time to reverse this biggest work-from-home experiment? There were no lines drawn and I basically worked around the clock, even on weekends,” she said, adding that her work environment was positive and ideal before remote working began. “If we took leave to rest or were on medical leave, they assumed we had nothing to do because we’re home anyway and would still ask us to follow up on work,” said Adriana. “At least once a month, we also allow our employees to knock off an hour earlier on Friday so that they can start the weekend early and spend quality time with their families and friends,” he added. Zaqy added that the rigid enforcement of the boundary between work and personal life might also impede some workers, who enjoy the flexibility of caring for their children, running errands in the day and working at night. A pre-departure test he had taken on 24 November was negative for COVID-19 infection, and his test on 6 December during SHN came back negative too. We work more hours, bosses need more visibility and facetime, and you have to be responsive. ... We will keep on doing our utmost to protect every Singaporean from COVID-19. On October 14, MP Yong again spoke in parliament about the “right to disconnect” issue, noting that a law would help employees have protected time to rest and recharge. Some companies also have alternative channels for feedback that employees could take advantage of. Coronavirus (COVID19) requires that we work and study from home to limit the spread of the outbreak. “It’s so easy to set up meetings on Zoom so there were suddenly more meetings than ever before,” he said. This work ethic has been around for decades in Singapore so one hard and fast rule will not work.”. This article is now fully available for you, Please verify your e-mail to read this subscriber-only article in full. SINGAPORE — Employees working from home need to stay connected, avoid distractions and maintain a routine, experts told TODAY on Wednesday (Feb 12). Heng said once the boundaries are set, the employees concerned should “try hard not to make exceptions”. Getty. You should work from home unless you are providing an essential service and need to be physically present. We have been experiencing some problems with subscriber log-ins and apologise for the inconvenience caused. Travellers planning to enter Singapore must comply with the prevailing border control measures and public health requirements, a summary of the … SINGAPORE - When the circuit breaker ends, all companies - including those resuming operations in the first two phases of the economy's reopening - should adopt working from home as a … Paul Fong, country manager at Dow Singapore & Malaysia, said that despite being a multinational company, his firm also does not encourage meetings on Friday evenings. He is a work permit holder who is employed by Singapore General Hospital, but has not started work yet. On how employees can set boundaries for themselves, Paul Heng, founder of NeXT Career Consulting Group, said that setting expectations is the rule of the game, and employees have to make it crystal clear that they are not going to be on call, unless it is an emergency. And as some experts warn against upsetting the work-life balance — which remains the holy grail for many — one Member of Parliament (MP) has recently called for a law to guarantee that an employee’s personal time is safeguarded. Get The Straits Times app and receive breaking news alerts and more. Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month for the first 3 months. He added that some individuals have said that the arrangement has increased their productivity while others explained that the home environment is not sufficiently conducive for work. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now. For the duration of the pandemic, many employees will be forced to work from home. All new cases are imported and there are no new local transmissions. If the person can work from home, he should do so. Benefits of a Work From Home Policy During COVID-19 A work from home policy offers a variety of benefits to both the remote employee and their employers. As part of his pre-employment health screening, he was tested for COVID-19 on Tuesday even though he is asymptomatic, and his test came back positive. All done! People watching an outdoor movie screening within their social distances in Singapore. Her first two visits were for headaches from lack of sleep and stress, and for gastric pains from skipping meals and taking painkillers. ... to keep everyone in Singapore safe from COVID-19. How Singapore fights COVID with contact tracing: 5 things to know. Many people have been working tirelessly for the past two months. 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