GRAB Scraps Flexible Working Arrangement, Mandates Start From December

Grab, a regional tech company, announced that its Singapore employees will be required to work in-office five days a week starting December 2, moving away its current hybrid model that allowed employees to work from home a few days a week.

Facilitating greater collaboration and interactions in office

According to CEO Anthony Tan, this shift aligns with Grab’s goal of driving accelerated growth, as reported by Channel News Asia (CNA) yesterday. Tan explained, “Enhancing face-to-face collaboration will speed up progress and strengthen integration across our business ecosystem and units.”

“Since returning to three days a week post-COVID, we’ve observed stronger team bonds, improved problem-solving, and the successful launch of key product innovations,” a Grab representative told CNA.

One employee, who has spoken to CNA, revealed that she suspected that the policy has been in the works for sometime - as the company had been ramping up returns to office since the middle of last year.

She adds that the tech company had also taken a stricter stance on working from office this year.

"They said there would be disciplinary action against those who don't comply with work from office mandates."

Grab will still offer flexible hours to employees who need it

Tan assured employees that they could request remote or offsite work in cases of urgent personal needs. He added that there would be a one-month “adjustment period” before the full implementation to ensure a smooth transition.

A former Grab employee, who left late last year, said that the company had begun tracking office access card tap-ins last year flagging employees with poor work-from-office attendance.

Just like many other big companies, like Amazon has also recently started implementing a 5 day work from office policy for all of its employees.