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While many companies in America are pushing for full return to office of all of their employees for five days a week, including tech giants like Amazon, with Elon Musk recently extending his demands to all federal employees currently evaluated by his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Singapore seems to be bucking the trend.
Not only did the official Tripartite Guidelines for Flexible Work Arrangements (FWA) take effect in December—a product of consultation between the government, unions and employers—but the companies themselves have embraced the hybrid work model following the pandemic.
Thanks to a survey included in Hays’ 2025 Asia Salary Guide we now know exactly how common the practice is in Singapore and several other Asian nations.
Free at work
As it turns out Singaporeans enjoy by far the most freedom of all surveyed nations, followed—surprisingly perhaps—by Japan, where nearly a fifth of professionals are permitted fully remote work (although nearly 40% are still expected to show up at the office five days a week).
In Singapore the traditional full-time arrangement applies only to a third of white-collar workers:
Full 66%, or two thirds, of Singaporeans are already given at least one day to work from home and for 50% that is two or more.
By comparison, 62% of mainland Chinese are expected to work as usual and even in the more liberal Hong Kong it is still a requirement for over 50% of the workforce.
Even in neighbouring Malaysia, usually considered more relaxed and less disciplined than Singapore, close to half of the workers are expected to turn up daily.
Is hybrid work here to stay?
For the time being it certainly is but employers will look closely at how companies like Amazon, Tesla or JP Morgan—which have been most vocal about full-time return to office policies—function compared to their more flexible counterparts.
CEOs opposing remote work do have a point saying that it impedes collaboration and may lead to breakdowns in teamwork, as people who fundamentally have to cooperate as a group don’t see each other often enough, don’t build relationships, and don’t communicate effectively.
This is especially true for work on complex projects where many people are involved.
The main reason why hybrid arrangements are bound to remain in place and even grow in popularity—especially in Singapore—is the talent shortage which has yet to ease.
With 83% of local companies reporting problems finding qualified people—compared to just 10% ten years ago—the local labour market is still skewed towards employees and their expectations.
Companies in Singapore will be more cautious not to discourage workers they rely on, in case they choose to look for more flexibility in another company, given the high demand for qualified staff.
Besides money, freedom to work from home is one of the most important benefits jobseekers are looking for, and may be a deal-breaker for many of the most qualified who can spend time shopping around.
This is probably why Singapore jumped so far ahead of its Asian neighbours, as the local employment situation remains very good for white-collar workers and employers compete on the work-from-home perks to lure the best ones in.
That’s quite a change in a country otherwise known for long hours, overwork, and strict performance expectations.
Featured image: depositphotos
