OCBC remains in agile, flexible work arrangement after local COVID surge

SIngapore has scaled back the number of employees allowed in the office to 50% of the workforce.

Singapore’s OCBC Bank said that it will remain in an agile and flexible workplace arrangement after the government limited the number of back-to-office employees due to a recent surge in COVID-19 cases.

“We are mindful that we are not out of the woods yet, and this recent surge in COVID-19 cases in the community reinforces the need to remain agile and flexible in our workforce arrangements,” Patrick Chew, head of operational risk management, OCBC, said in a media note.

Chew added that they will continue to implement safe management measures, such as staggered working hours, safe distancing, and temperature screening that were first applied at the onset of the pandemic.

The comments came after local health officials reported over 60 recent cases of COVID-19 cases in the past week ending 3 May. Seven of these are of the Indian variant of the virus.

In response, the Singapore limited the number of employees allowed back in the office to 50% from between 8 May up to 30 May. Previously, up to 75% of employees were allowed to return to the workplace.

“Employers must ensure that no more than 50% of employees who are able to work from home return to the workplace at any time. Employers should continue to stagger start times of employees who need to return to the workplace, and implement flexible working hours,” Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said in a press conference on 4 May.

Gan added that they have not ruled out the possibility of reimposing circuit breaker measures.

"I think it is important for us to clarify that we have not ruled out the possibility of a circuit breaker," he said.