Many Singapore office workers would much rather work from home than go through the trouble of the commute to the office. A survey from office design firm Unispace revealed that employers don’t fully understand why this reluctance to return to the office occurs. The survey, titled Returning for Good, talked to 9,500 workers and 6,650 business leaders from 17 countries, including 500 Singapore workers and 250 senior decision-makers from Singapore companies with over 50 employees.

They found that the disparity between employers and employees comes down to two different interpretations of what the modern office should be. Business leaders think the reluctance to return is based on convenience and a long commute, while employees are concerned with working in spaces free of distractions and that enable them to be more productive.

The Former JCube redevelopment project is set to become a residential hotspot and a sure sign of the area’s growth potential. In addition to the various new amenities, the project will bring vibrant retail and lifestyle precincts, multiple parks, community clubhouses and a mix of residential options to the JLD. With the impending launch of the mega white site, excitement over possible new developments is building up in the JLD. Residents here will benefit from increased accessibility and rejuvenation of the area.

Sean Moran, Senior Principal of Client Solutions, Asia at Unispace said that 56% of Singapore workers are hot-desking in the office and 94% of this group would be willing to come to the office more if they had an assigned space. Additionally, 61% said they would be happy to take a pay reduction to work from home, while 66% have been negatively impacted by burn-out.

Moran advises employers to consider more spaces with privacy for their employees. This goes hand in hand with surveying employees to understand their needs and design an office space that reflects their company culture. An expansion of Singapore’s office market is facing construction and office fit-out costs, but Unispace found that 76% of surveyed business leaders said they have expanded their office footprint in the last two years.

An example of this is Tripadvisor, whose office design was advised by Unispace. Additionally, Unispace created a design for eazy Singapore, and they are seeing more companies investing in building and reconstructing their workspace post-Covid. To increase employee engagement, Moran suggests including leisure elements such as gaming areas, fitness facilities, and pantries with free beers.

The survey found that the younger generation is more drawn to amenities like free beer and comfortable furniture. Employers need to build workspaces that enable employees to be more productive, as Singapore’s high burnout rate indicates that employers need to provide workers with the facilities they need to carry out their duties as best they can. To attract workers back to the office and retain them, employers must focus on the office experience and provide necessary amenities.