Analyzing Coronavirus Effects on Singapore Workplaces and Safety

This report examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Singapore's workplaces, focusing on the measures taken to ensure employee health and safety. It analyzes the adoption of flexible work practices, such as work from home, as a response to the pandemic. The study references data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other sources to illustrate the challenges faced by Singapore, a major business hub with significant Chinese visitor traffic, in controlling the spread of the virus. The report also discusses relevant legislation, such as the Workplace Safety and Health Act, and provides insights into the benefits and challenges of flexible work arrangements. The analysis includes data synthesis and reflective observations on the effectiveness of various strategies in maintaining workplace health and productivity during a health crisis. The report highlights Singapore's proactive approach, including strict quarantine measures and travel restrictions, as well as the importance of employee well-being and the role of flexible work in maintaining business continuity.

Running head: CORONA VIRUS
CORONA VIRUS
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Table of Contents
Outcome-1.......................................................................................................................................2
Data Collection and Interpretation...................................................................................................2
Outcome 2:.......................................................................................................................................7
Data Synthesis.................................................................................................................................7
Outcome 3:.......................................................................................................................................8
Analysis and Reflective...................................................................................................................8
References......................................................................................................................................11

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Outcome-1
Data Collection and Interpretation
From the perspective of the World Health Organization (WHO), health and safety in any
occupation imply in management of every attribute of employee's health and safety and
authorizes a primary motive of preventing hazards. WHO determines that health is an essential
factor that an employee should maintain, and take their job responsibilities after ensuring all the
health and safety measures. In recent times, the outbreak of Covid-19 Coronavirus, in Wuhan,
China, rose an alarming situation in many countries (Who.int 2020). It has turned into a
pandemic as declared by WHO, as many countries are connected to China, and travelers
including business and tourism has transmitted and scattered the virus to multiple countries
especially in Singapore. Singapore is considered in this study for examination of the effect of
Covid-19 Coronavirus, as it is well connected to China for business purposes, as well as
Singapore being a tourist attraction; there are millions of travelers every year exposing them to
various foreign viruses compromising the overall standard of living and health standards. It has
been observed that Singapore though a small space, have 3.62 million Chinese visitors by the
end of the year 2019, most of them being business visitors (Wong Leo and Tan 2020).

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Figure 1: the number of China Visitors to Singapore by the end of 2019 and in
January 2020
(Source: Ceicdata.com 2020)
In this perspective, Singapore corporate offices are taking strict measures so that they can
fight the Coronavirus, and uplift the health and safety procedures in the workplace. Therefore,
the thesis of this study, understands the effects of Corona Virus in Singapore, as well as the
process of flexible work practices, they are adapting to fight the virus, in the professional field.
The explanation regarding the measures taken for standardizing health and safety in the
workplace will also be enunciated with the support and explanation of some laws and
regulations.
Covid-19 Coronavirus is considered a pandemic, as there have been a total of 80,000
cases worldwide, who are affected by the virus, and some are in critical situations along with
some death reports. In this perspective, the World Health Organization has declared a "Public
Health Emergency of International Concern", where workplaces are told be a significant cause of
being aware as hundreds of people come to one area to work eventually exposed to various kinds

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of viruses (bbc.com 2020). Although, amongst such pandemic situation, workplaces are taking
steps to revise their policies, so that they can ensure workplace health and safety policies, and
decrease the effect of various diseases (Sso.agc.gov.sg. 2020). On the verge of a national
emergency, many workforces are opting for work from home. This emergency has initiated
many companies in resolving their policies, where they are giving more power to employees to
decide when and how they will complete their tasks, and these techniques do not hamper
organizational productivity and performances. Instead, it has involved more productivity in
delivering works by employees, less stress, and increased work efficiency and satisfaction. In
many cases, it has been seen that women during their pregnancy period or early motherhood
demands flexible working hours, and this has compelled gender inequality in the workplace.
Figure 2: The total cases of Coronavirus
(Source: bbc.com 2020)

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In the case of the spreading of Coronavirus, Singapore has taken strict measures, and they are
imposing zero tolerance in case of maintaining a safe and healthy country. They have taking
preventive measures from the previous pandemic outbreak SARS which took a huge toll in
Singapore, killing 1000 peoples and infecting more than 8000(time.com 2020). The impositions
are most considerable in the case of officials sectors. Changi Airport of Singapore has multiple
connected hubs to various countries, like the United States, China, and the United Arab Emirates.
Hundreds of people visiting Singapore to attend a sales conference in January 2020 have initiated
the spread of Coronavirus (Zhou et al.2020). Due to foreign travelers, cases of Coronavirus
started increasing. However, there have been cases who have not been in any contact with China
travelers, but still has been affected with the corona virus. Therefore, in the case of spreading
awareness among ordinary people, as well as employers examining their employees in work
from home, installed highly operating "contact mechanism", for quarantine purposes. The
quarantine checking will help in understanding the spreading of the disease by other means, apart
from human to human contact. Singapore has also shut down their ports and hubs to China, and
have formulated 14-day leave for Chinese officials who are resided there (DeLeon and Burke
2018). In the case of people affected by the virus, leaving their isolation chambers, they are
devoid of working permissions, and even employers are banned if they are hiring foreigners for a
minimum of two years. In this way, Singapore is strictly handling the pandemic disease for
health and safety purposes in their workplaces.
Singapore has been much resilient in defeating the disease, although the disease has
attacked more than 100, but there has been no death case until date. Singapore is the only city-
state that has seen the slow spreading of the disease "Corona Virus" and significant recovery
cases. On the other hand, the most affected parts are China, Europe, Middle East, Iran and U.S,

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where the statistic represent total 83,000 affected people with 2,800 death reports (Fortune,
2020). Singapore has been able to handle this pandemic disease by taking strict measures like
"highly administered health system, draconian training, and containment measures" that have
been applied to working people, as well as people who are kept in work from home. In
Singapore, the business hubs have already decided to keep people from the disease by taking
rigorous measures, which included quarantine processes immediately when someone is affected
by the disease. As Singapore is considered to be a "Regional Business Hub", and have many
foreign visitors every year, it had the possibility of spreading the diseases from business visitors.
Therefore, Singapore was the first one to restrict travelling people especially business visitors to
enter into the city especially from China and South Korea. They have formulated rigid hospital
regulations, and have imposed every business and corporate organizations to send affected
people to quarantine routine at home, and tracing people out where they have been in contact
with infected people. For this reason, the neighboring state, especially China and Japan, as they
have been lagging in taking actions regarding "containment measures", which have increased the
scattering of Corona Virus. In this case, it has been determined that Singapore has maintained
high standards of health and safety, especially in handling on an overall basis as well in the
workplace.
It has been observed that 91 percent of public sector employees in Singapore can choose
options for work from home, and in the case of private companies, the percentage is 88%
((Mom.gov.sg. 2020). Singapore is a regional business sector with millions of business visitors
from various countries for business purposes. Singapore had a GDP of $323.907 billion at the
end of the year 2017, and only 0.3% citizens of Singapore have adapted to flexible working,
where U.S and UK have adapted to flexible working, and work from home to approximately 3.3

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percent to 4.1 percent(Data.worldbank.org, 2020). The employers and employees have many
reasons for getting work from home or flexible working hours The initiation of organizations in
opting flexible working hours are because of various underlying reasons, they are solving
existing problems and decreasing high absenteeism, and also providing the chance to the
employees for balancing both their personal and professional life(Gov.sg 2020). The flexible
working hours also is adopted by organizations to attract new talents. Singapore is trying to adapt
to the culture of flexible working hours in this crisis, as it will become an integral part of
workplaces shortly.
Outcome 2:
Data Synthesis
A company Fortune 500, have enforced complete work from home to their employees, to
sanitize and disinfectant the office floors. It has been observed that employees have become
much more relaxed while working at their homes, as they were suffering from anxiety due to the
rapid spread of Coronavirus, which has been affecting the production and efficiency of workers.
Employees have become enthusiastic, productive, grown a sense of well-being, which has been
quite beneficial to the company operations as employee burn out has decreased, considerably
increasing job satisfaction. As employees are getting enough recreational time to spend with
family and friends, they can communicate and take tasks to a much greater extent. Therefore,
through the Work from Home process, it has been observed that employees have developed their
skills as their job satisfaction has increased, and employee retention has decreased.
In case of companies adhering to Health and Safety of employees, they are liable to
follow "The Workplace Safety and Health Act, 2011", which recognizes the responsibilities of
employers in ensuring the safety of their employees and aware of them in practicing safe

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processes while working in an official grounds. For example, a company in Singapore named
"Grab", has completely shut down their offices after an employee was detected with
Coronavirus, the company had declared their holidays, until March 11, 2020, for the process of
cleaning and disinfecting the office floors (straitstimes.com 2020). Although, the companies
have forwarded their financial support and guidance to the employee and his family, portraying
their ethical standards and health awareness regarding their employees. According to Hale Borys
and Adams (2015), the act of "The Workplace Safety and Health Act, 2011", under section 31,
imposes organizations to provide all the employees an "Accredited training provider actively".
This means the Commissioner, to make the employees acquainted with all the health and safety
procedures and regularly practice them while working in the official grounds, provides a trainer.
Nevertheless, Singapore is following all the preventive measures necessary for preventing
contagious diseases, even this act replicates under section 33, to provide an "Authorized
Examiner", for performing tests, for analysis diseases. This will ensure the total safety of the
employees and spread awareness about keeping them healthy in the environment.
Outcome 3:
Analysis and Reflective
After collecting and analyzing various situations, in my opinion the various reasons
flexible working is necessary for Singapore office areas is because safety is the mandatory factor
in recent times so that in after the pandemic resides everyone can be safe and return to work and
contribute to utmost productivity. The work from home criteria is adapted by most of the
companies, to secure employees health and safety, but this can be challenging for the team
leaders and managers who have to be connected throughout with the employees. This will incur a
drastic change in the workforce, but it will evaluate the working capabilities of all the employees

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and will also help in understanding remote connection, and working productively through that,
eventually making every employees and employers will be extremely productive. It has been
observed that "telecommuters", have been 20% more active and productive, when they are
working offsite as they can deliver uninterrupted services. Therefore, I think that in case of
situations like this, when a pandemic disease like Corona Virus is succumbing huge portion of
overall population worldwide, flexible working will provide safety and productivity, without any
chances of loss in work. Apart from any deadly disease, an organization should care about their
employees' health and safety while working as well as while at home in other cases also like
injury, accidents in workplace premises. Some organizations even provide compensation
structure in case of accidents, and diseases. According to the "Work Injury Compensation Act",
it is the principal legislation, where employees are liable to provide work injury compensation in
case of accidents that happened in office floors, and even in case of diseases (Lippel 2018). As I
have, collected data about the company “Grab”, where they have given work from home to the
entire office, due to one of the employees getting affected by Corona Virus, they have also
provided help to the deceased family to support for their employees speedy recovery. Singapore
has proved to be a strong country taking preventive and smart measures to fight this pandemic.
Every employer and employee should also look after the culture of the workplace under
the regulations of "Workplace Safety and Health act", as it helps in playing a major role in
reducing stress and work pressure. Excessive stress can cause harm to the employee's mental
stability, fertility, and put effect on employee engagement (Okun Guerin and Schulte 2016). In
this case, flexible working must be allowed to employees so that they can relax, make a balance
in their life to cater to the company expectations, and give productive and excellent performance.

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Some of the organization in Singapore is also preferring to keep "Corporate
Psychologist", which actually checks issues that have created a problem in employee's
performance, growth ability, and ethics (Connolly Jr and Crowell 2017). Collaborating with
health professionals will keep the employee and employers, safe and aware about their health,
the employee will be able to take action with the help of the company to recover. In this way, the
employer will take preventive measures to keep the workplace healthy, unharmed from hazards
and diseases especially during this crisis when a pandemic disease is succumbing the entire
world.
In the above discussion, it has been concluded that Coronavirus has made millions of
people worldwide panic-stricken. In this situation, workplace safety is a significant concern for
many organizations. Singapore has been taken into consideration for this study, and it has been
observed that though Coronavirus had struck many countries and cities, increasing the affected
and death rate rapidly, Singapore remains safe due to their strict rules and regulations in case of
maintaining their health standards. Provided examples of business sectors in Singapore are also
taken into consideration to understand the effectiveness of work from home or flexible working
in case of emergency as well as for safeguarding the health and safety of the employees.

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References
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bbc.com, 2020. Why A Global City Is So Vulnerable To Virus Spread. [online] Available at:
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Connolly Jr, W.B. and Crowell, D.R., 2017. A Practical Guide to the Occupational Safety and
Health Act. Law Journal Press.
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