Grab scraps hybrid work, requires employees to work in office 5 days a week from 2 Dec

Grab mandates employees to work in office 5 days a week from 2 Dec

On Thursday (24 Oct), technology giant Grab announced to its employees that they will be required to work five days a week in the office from 2 Dec. The news was confirmed by a few existing employees to ChannelNewsAsia (CNA) on the condition of anonymity.

At present, the company adopts a hybrid work arrangement — allowing employees to work from home a few days a week.

Move meant to facilitate more collaboration & interactions in office

Talking to CNA, the employees explained that the rationale behind the move was to facilitate more collaboration and interactions in the office.

They added that a one-month “adjustment period” was given to them before the mandate kicks in on 2 Dec, so that employees with caregiving responsibilities can make alternative plans.

One employee divulged that she suspected that the policy had been in the works for some time — as the company had been “ramping up” returns to office since the middle of last year.

Additionally, she shared that the tech company had taken a “stricter stance” on working from the office this year.

“They said there would be disciplinary action against those who don’t comply [with work-from-office mandates],”  she added. At present, she works three days in the office and two days from home.

However, the employee confirmed that Grab will “still accommodate flexible hours and exceptional personal circumstances”.

A former Grab employee, who left late last year, told MS News that the company began tracking office access card tap-ins last year, flagging employees with poor work-from-office attendance.

Many other companies have re-implemented the full work-from-office policy following the end of the pandemic two years ago.

Just last month, Amazon announced a five-day office mandate for its employees, citing culture and collaboration as the biggest reasons behind the move.

Also read: Grab experimenting with food locker for deliveries, possible implementation at offices or condos

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Featured image adapted from VCG via Caixin Global.