Philippine firms want workers to return to the office

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has the second highest number of employers in Asia-Pacific requiring a full return to the office in the pandemic aftermath, according to tech giant Cisco.

In a survey, Cisco found that nearly half of Philippine companies are requiring employees to return to work in person post-pandemic for productivity purposes.

In Asia-Pacific, India recorded the highest number of employers mandating a full return to the office at 49 percent, followed by the Philippines (46 percent), Australia and South Korea (28 percent), and Hong Kong and Thailand (19 percent).

Taiwan stood out as the most progressive in terms of working arrangement, with only 13 percent of Taiwanese companies requiring a full return to the office.

Cisco said 65 percent of companies in the region believe that working in the office increases productivity. Apart from this, employers think that a return to the workplace allows workers to improve team communication and respond to leadership pressure.

Cisco, however, said there is a growing case of hybrid mode of work in the region as the new generation of talents are pushing for this kind of arrangement.

In the Philippines, Cisco reported that more than a third of employers expect the average Filipino to be a hybrid worker within two years.

Cisco said Filipinos like the idea of a hybrid arrangement because it supports their well-being, allows them to save more and raises their productivity.

However, Cisco said much work needs to be done to expedite the transition to hybrid work. The survey found that only half of Filipino employees believe that their office is prepared to adopt this kind of setup for good.

In the office, employees are clamoring for a reorganization of their workspaces, complaining that current designs fail to meet the needs of post-pandemic work. They cited the urgency of upgrading digital tools, given that most tasks, such as meeting with clients, are being done online nowadays.

At home, workers are requesting employers to enhance their productivity tools like collaboration software and internet subscription.

For the survey, Cisco gathered the insights of 7,550 workers and 1,650 employers in Asia and the Pacific, zeroing in on the risks and opportunities of hybrid work in Australia, Hong Kong, India, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.