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The bank is moving from traditional fixed desk seating to an activity-based workplace for employees, launching telemedicine to enable staff to consult a doctor remotely, and more, as part of its wider 'Future of Work' plan.
HSBC Singapore has announced a multi-pronged vision for its approach to flexible and hybrid-location working for its employees, in a new plan named 'Future of Work'.
In a press release on Friday (16 April), the firm said in supporting this plan, there will be a shift towards a more hybrid and flexible working model between the office and home for its employees, while managing operational and business continuity risk.
This will be underpinned by three key principles:
#1 Customer focus
Ensuring the way HSBC employees work suits its customers’ needs and their changing behaviours, and delivers the best outcomes for the customers and businesses.
#2 Flexibility for individuals
In how, when and where employees work.
#3 Collaboration
Ensuring that HSBC's offices are designed and used to build collaboration and networks for the benefit of its customers and employees. It will use best in class digital to modernise the workspace.
To prepare for a more permanent shift to hybrid and flexible working, HSBC Singapore made the following policy, location, technology and cultural changes in the past year:
- Refined its existing flexible working policy.
- Became the anchor tenant of Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 2 and upgraded offices at MBFC and its split-site at Mapletree Business City featuring state-of-art design, technology and sustainability.
- Moved from traditional fixed desk seating to an activity-based workplace where employees have a variety of individual and shared spaces available to work or collaborate with others.
- Provided staff with the necessary IT and security infrastructure to support large-scale WFH arrangements.
- Virtual recruitment and onboarding of new employees through video interviews and online assessments.
- Provided a one-time reimbursement of S$500 to all eligible staff for the purchase of office equipment.
- Conducted briefing sessions to educate people managers on the policy, and ongoing courses on how to manage dispersed and hybrid teams.
- Ongoing focus groups on pain points and how to make hybrid and flexible working more sustainable.
- Launched telemedicine to enable staff to consult a doctor remotely.
Up to 65% of employees allowed in the office, split-site arrangement only for critical services
In addition to its wider Future of Work plan, the financial services firm has also stated that it will be executing a 'Return to Office' plan in line with the Government's recent policy change to allow more staff at workplaces.
As part of this plan, effective 16 April, the following rules apply:
- HSBC Singapore will allow a maximum of 65% of total staff in the office, while abiding by the one metre safe distancing requirement in all premises.
Split-site arrangement is only for critical services to mitigate concentration risk. All others may work from their usual office location or from home. The firm does not allow cross-site deployment for now, in line with safe management measures.
Social gatherings amongst colleagues are allowed but in groups of no more than eight, with safe management measures in place.
Commenting on this, Brandon Coate, Head of Human Resources, HSBC Singapore, said: "As the Singapore Government has now changed its rules to bring more people back to the workplace, it is now time for HSBC to do the same.
"Whilst the health and safety of our employees is always a top priority, we believe now is the right time for employees to re-engage with their teams on how they perform their role and the frequency in which they will be attending the office."
Photo / 123RF
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