Are Malaysian employers planning for permanent WFH?

Amidst the National Recovery Plan (NRP) in Malaysia, many workers are still working from home — or remotely — due to the high number of daily COVID-19 cases. This hybrid/remote work model has also seen an increase in digitalisation efforts across the nation’s business sectors, and digital tools such as altHR are now more important than ever. 

Consequently, business owners throughout the nation have been forced to adapt to a new way of work, and there have been several companies that have even suggested a permanent hybrid work model in the future. However, this sentiment does not appear to be shared by many employers in Asia, based on findings from a new report by Bloomberg.‍

Offices are making a comeback… in Asia 

According to the survey conducted by CBRE Group Inc., offices appear to be making a comeback in the Asian business sector. Many companies based in Asia are looking to expand physical office space over the next three years, although this trend is not reflected to the same extent with multinational companies. 

This suggests that Asian companies are preparing to return to physical work arrangements once the pandemic is under control, with nearly half of the respondents also preferring conventional seating arrangements in the office over hot desks. 

As such, it seems that Asian employers simply don’t believe that work-from-home arrangements are here to stay. This arguably comes down to a traditional, conservative approach from employers — something we’ve also seen when discussing other modern work arrangements, such as a four-day work week. ‍

The importance of digitalising your business

Regardless, remote and hybrid work arrangements are a firm part of the future for many companies around the world. A significant increase in workers who permanently work from home is expected on a global scale, and a number of corporations — such as Twitter — have already implemented permanent work-from-home arrangements for their employees, 

It’s also important to understand the importance of staying flexible and agile amid the ever-changing business landscape. Whether your company implements hybrid or remote work models, or reverts back to a more traditional setup (which is a necessity for many industries) — digitalisation is a key to all of this. 

The process of digitalisation relies on systems, tools, and software to streamline business operations, with benefits ranging from cost-saving, all the way to customer and employee engagement. The gist of it: a strong digitalisation strategy is absolutely essential in ensuring that your company survives — and thrives — no matter the situation. ‍

Begin your company’s digitalisation process today

HR professionals are often faced with daunting, often tedious tasks on a daily basis — tasks that have become even more difficult to handle in light of the ongoing COVID-19 situation. 

But help is available, if you know where to look. Let us streamline your HR processes by managing and automating day-to-day tasks, so you won’t have to worry about things like paperwork, privacy concerns, time-tracking, or onboarding challenges.

Sign up for altHR, the all-in-one digital solution that covers everything from payroll and onboarding, to staff management and providing employees with information kits. You’ve done it the old way long enough.