S’pore Firms Should Let Staff Work Flexible Hours, To Avoid Peak Period Commute

Singapore Firms Should Allow Flexible Work Hours So Staff Can Avoid Peak Period Crowds

As students and adults are returning to school and work, peak period crowds are forming again in public transportation like buses and MRTs.

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With a pandemic still in progress, that isn’t the ideal situation. To mitigate the problem, the Covid-19 taskforce is encouraging employers to allow staff to work flexible hours.

That way, not everybody will be rushing to reach work at roughly the same time each morning, reducing crowd sizes greatly.

Flexible work hours will reduce commuter crowds

In a press release today (9 Sep), the Ministry of Health (MOH) issued an advisory to employers in light of recent developments.

Since more workers are reporting to their workplaces now, more people are travelling via public transport and showing up in offices.

To reduce the risk of crowding, MOH urges employers to implement flexible working hours.

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Having staff report to work at different timings may help decrease the number of people travelling during peak hours significantly.

In the same vein, there’ll also be fewer people in the office at any one time.

MOH suggests letting staff start work as late as 9.30am, to avoid the 7-8am commuter crowds.

Ensure strict adherence to Safe Management Measures

Apart from work hours, companies should strictly adhere to Safe Management Measures (SMM) at all times, to protect workers’ health and safety.

Employers should ensure safe distancing among staff at all times, and check that they keep their masks on.

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SafeEntry and temperature-taking are also essential in keeping the work space a safe environment for all to be in.

Now that more activities are resuming, we have to be even more vigilant in following the necessary procedures.

After all, we can’t move forward towards a sense of a ‘new normal’ if we don’t cooperate and be responsible.

Featured image adapted from Spin.