100% work from home ‘not doable': Wong

He urged employers to embrace more flexible, hybrid working arrangements.

Multi-Ministry Taskforce co-chair and Education minister Lawrence Wong has alluded that a full work-from-home setup is not doable, citing the need for human collaboration, during a dialogue as part of an Institute of Policy Studies conference.

“You cannot function effectively without that human collaboration and that social interaction. So you do need a chance for people to come together,” Wong said.

However, he emphasised that neither should things go back to how it was before, urging employers to embrace more flexible, hybrid working arrangements.

Wong also expressed optimism for Singapore post-COVID-19, but cautioned that the country’s ability to gain relevance as a global hub will depend on its response to the pandemic.

“There may be some sacrifices that are still needed from time to time, we still will need restrictions. But let's get through this stretch, get everyone vaccinated, and we should be in a much better situation after that,” he said.