Govt kickstarts WFH policy drive

State officials now have the option of working from home (WFH) in an arrangement which came into effect on Friday.

The regulation was announced in the Royal Gazette on Thursday and took effect the following day, said deputy government spokeswoman Traisuree Taisaranakul.

The regulation was issued to allow flexibility in the government’s work to maximise efficiency during the “new normal” after the Covid-19 pandemic, she said.

Working from home is subject to approval department heads, and in some cases officials may instead be assigned to co-working spaces, but neither arrangement should hurt efficiency, productivity or an agency’s ability to provide services to the public, she said.

The regulation applies to state agencies but not local administrative organisations, state enterprises and public organisations.