Grab employees required to work 5 days a week in office starting Dec 2

SINGAPORE: Grab will require its employees to work five days a week in the office starting in December, the technology firm told its staff during a town hall on Thursday morning (Oct 24).
Employees confirmed on the condition of anonymity that the mandate will start on Dec 2.  
They said that the rationale for the move – which was explained during the town hall – was to facilitate more collaboration and interactions in the office.
In an email to employees, Grab chief executive officer Anthony Tan said that “increasing face-to-face collaboration will accelerate progress and enhance integration across our ecosystem and business units”. 
“Returning to a five-day work week aligns with our goals to do more for our mission and to drive faster growth,” he said in the email, which was seen by CNA.
He added that there will be a one-month “adjustment period” before the arrangement kicks in on Dec 2 so that employees can make alternative plans for personal and caregiving responsibilities if needed. 
“We understand that this may feel like a significant shift after three years of hybrid work, and it may require adjustment for some of us, especially for those with caregiving responsibilities,” he wrote.
One employee told CNA that she had suspected this move was in the works, as the company had been “ramping up” returning to the office since the middle of last year. 
Grab began taking a stricter stance on working from the office earlier this year, she said.
“They said there would be disciplinary action against those who don’t comply (with return-to-office mandates),” said the employee in her 30s, who has been working with the company for three years. 
Currently, she works three days a week in the office and two days from home. 
Two years post-pandemic, more companies have summoned employees back to the office. Last month, tech giant Amazon mandated a five office days a week policy starting next year. 
Such post-pandemic mandates were put in the spotlight when in 2022 Tesla chief executive officer Elon Musk enacted a strict return-to-office policy, demanding employees spend a minimum of forty hours in the office per week.
Asked if the mandate by Grab follows the same spirit as Tesla, the Grab employee said that the firm will “still accommodate flexible hours and exceptional personal circumstances”. 
Mr Tan said in his email to employees that those with urgent personal or family situations can submit a request to work from home or offsite. 
Another Grab employee in his 20s told CNA he was “disappointed” with the sudden move, as the three-day work-from-office and two-day work-from-home arrangement has been going well for him. 
“Whilst I acknowledge the benefits that face-to-face interaction brings, there are days when I don’t have meetings, and do not see any particular benefit that work from office brings on such days,” he said. 
He added that his office commute takes about an hour each way. 
Going back to the office another two days each week would mean an additional four hours of commuting, he said. 
“I was looking to spend time in the evenings cooking dinner on my now extinct work-from-home days with the time saved from the commute.” 
Grab officially opened its nine-storey headquarters at one-north in August 2022.