Singapore’s Ministry of Health(MOH) has announced that the work-from-home (WFH) order is no longer required, and as a result, starting from January 1, 2022, more workers will be able to go back to the office. With the new measures in place, does your office have what it takes to welcome more employees?

Read on to know more about the new regulations and what you can do as a business owner to ensure your office space is safe and ready to go. 

What Are the New Measures?

Besides the country’s high vaccination rates, the government also believes that face-to-face interaction is crucial in the working world. Therefore, new measures have been introduced that includes the following:

• 50% of workers are allowed to work from the office.
• Workers that are allowed to return must already be fully vaccinated, have recovered from COVID-19 within the past 270 days, or have been tested negative.
• Cap on participants for work-related events has been raised to above 50 people.

Now, let’s look at what your business can do to make sure your office is prepared to welcome more workers. 

Implement Your Own Office Safety Regulations

Safety measures must be done individually and collectively at the workspace. Without the right safety precautions, bringing back more workers to your office is not a good idea. Here are some of the best office health regulations to implement:

• Provide handwashing stations and sanitizers. Your office should also have a regular cleaning schedule before and after working hours. 
• Set up physical distancing rules and decrease cross-contamination by having effective flow management and traffic patterns. (You can use the help of office interior design, such as using flooring to implement this particular rule). 
• Make use of technology to limit contact. 
• Ensure good air quality – Using air purifiers, ensure air-conditioning systems are in good working order and have efficient filters, reduce indoor air recirculation and even consider opening the windows for natural air circulation
• Post some signage to help remind workers about safety rules

Redesign Your Office For the Best Working Environment

As COVID-19 restrictions are easing, it’s the ideal time for you to redesign and renovate your office to take on the challenge of accepting more workers in the office and embracing the new era of working. 

The best defense against diseases and sickness is maintaining good health. Providing the best working environment can help achieve the best state of wellness and overall business success. 

Your office interior design should focus on the wellness of your workforce. You can use the help of colours that can give out positive effects and create harmony in the workspace. Next, incorporate nature into the design to help ease stress and enhance mood. A biophilic and green office design is one of the best office interior design styles. 

Here are some more tips on how to create a healthier working environment.

Adopt Flexible Working Style

The new measures still put a limit on who is allowed to work from the office. The 50% cap means that some of your employees must still work outside the office. With a flexible working style, you can implement flexible hours, rotate your workforce, and keep the working from home option available to them. However, it’s essential that you provide the best tools for your workforce to work from home, including having the right technology to keep up with the latest updates and security measures and letting them be aware of the work-from-home best practices.

Office redesign and office renovation are no easy tasks. Therefore, a highly professional team is required to ensure your office transformation will be a successful one coming into the new era of working in Singapore. At SORDC, we have the skills and experience to assist you in all of your office renovation, interior design and office reinstatement projects. Make sure to contact us for more details.