Reverting the Hybrid Model: An Analysis of the National University of Singapore’s Mandate for Full Work-From-Office Return
Abstract
This paper analyzes the strategic decision by the National University of Singapore (NUS) in October 2025 to mandate a full five-day work-from-office (WFO) policy for all 12,000 full-time staff, abandoning its prior hybrid work arrangement. Drawing on organizational behavior theory, human resource management principles, and the specific context provided by the policy announcement, this analysis examines the institutional rationale—emphasizing the value of in-person interaction and alignment with broader Singaporean corporate trends—against the articulated concerns of staff regarding efficiency, technology adoption, and work-life balance. The findings suggest that NUS’s move, which contrasts with the continued flexible work arrangements (FWA) offered by its local academic peers and stands in tension with national guidelines promoting flexibility, highlights a managerial preference for control and traditional co-location over employee autonomy and perceived productivity gains associated with remote work. This case study offers critical insights into the ongoing post-pandemic tension between organizational culture and employee well-being within the higher education sector.
- Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic served as a pivotal forcing function, rapidly accelerating the adoption of remote work globally. As organizations transitioned into the post-pandemic recovery phase, a consensus generally emerged around hybrid models, seeking to balance the benefits of flexibility with the perceived need for collaborative co-location (Bertoncel et al., 2023). However, starting in late 2024 and extending into 2025, a noticeable trend of mandates for a full return-to-office (RTO) has been observed in various sectors, signaling a reassessment of long-term FWA viability by senior management (KPMG, 2024).
The National University of Singapore (NUS), a prominent knowledge institution in Asia, joined this RTO movement by implementing a strict five-day WFO mandate for its entire full-time staff compliment of 12,000, effective October 1, 2025. This decision, following a phased rollback of initial WFH privileges, positions NUS as an outlier among Singapore’s autonomous universities, which largely maintain hybrid arrangements.
This paper examines the institutional and sociological implications of NUS’s policy shift. Specifically, it seeks to:
Analyze the stated rationale for the full WFO policy, evaluating its alignment with organizational behavior theories.
Evaluate the potential consequences of the mandate on staff morale, perceived efficiency, and work-life balance, based on reported employee feedback.
Contextualize the decision within the competitive landscape of Singaporean higher education and national FWA guidelines.
- Theoretical Framework and Literature Review
The debate governing RTO mandates rests on conflicting theoretical perspectives regarding productivity, culture, and control.
2.1 The Managerial Imperative: Organizational Culture and Agency Theory
Proponents of full RTO, such as the NUS administration, often cite the “value of in-person interactions” (NUS Spokeswoman, 2025). This aligns with organizational culture theories (Schein, 1985), which posit that shared, physical spaces are essential for the transmission of core values, fostering spontaneous social capital, and driving the informal knowledge transfer necessary for creativity and innovation (Maruping & Bala, 2012).
Furthermore, the decision can be viewed through the lens of Agency Theory. While remote work has been proven effective for task-based productivity, management often struggles with the perception of reduced oversight and the difficulty of monitoring “effort” versus “output” (Eisenhardt, 1989). A full RTO mandate serves to reduce perceived agency costs by reasserting management’s control over employee presence and time, signaling a prioritization of visible compliance over autonomous efficiency.
2.2 Employee Perspective: Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Model and Well-being
Conversely, mandatory RTO policies challenge gains made in employee well-being and autonomy. The Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Model suggests that job resources, such as flexibility and autonomy, buffer the negative effects of job demands (Demerouti et al., 2001). Employees who value FWA often perceive it as a crucial resource that enhances work-life balance and life satisfaction.
The reported staff response that “Work from home made it possible to get more done” and that the policy feels like “going backwards instead of forward with flexible work arrangements” suggests a perceived link between remote settings and increased focused work efficiency (high productivity without the social demands of the office). The loss of flexibility is viewed not just as an inconvenience, but as an erosion of a critical job resource, potentially leading to increased burnout and reduced Perceived Organizational Support (POS).
- Case Study: NUS Policy Implementation and Institutional Rationales
3.1 Policy Context and Timeline
The move to full WFO at NUS was implemented in two rapid stages:
September 1, 2025: Central administration units resumed working five days a week on campus.
October 1, 2025: The mandate was extended to the rest of the university staff.
This policy represented a complete reversal of earlier flexibility, which had already seen remote work days reduced from two to one in 2023.
3.2 Institutional Justification
NUS explicitly justified the full RTO by citing two primary factors:
Industry Benchmarking: Reference to Ministry of Manpower (MOM) data indicating that “close to 70 per cent of companies in Singapore had returned to full office-based work arrangements by 2023,” alongside global trends (KPMG reporting 83% of bosses expect a full RTO within three years). This suggests a strategy of conforming to perceived corporate norms, rather than leading organizational policy within the education sector.
Value of Co-location: Emphasis on “the value of in-person interactions in the workplace,” aligning with theories on culture and collaboration.
While the university claims to offer “flexible work arrangements” designed for specific job roles, the staff report indicates that utilizing these arrangements requires a formal, bureaucratic request process—implying that WFO is the default expectation, and WFH is an exception requiring rigorous justification.
3.3 Contrasting with the Academic Sector
Significantly, NUS’s decision contrasts sharply with its peer institutions in Singapore’s autonomous university system. Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), and Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) all confirmed they maintain existing flexible arrangements (ranging from one to two days WFH per week).
This divergence positions NUS as having the least flexible general work policy among major local tertiary institutions. In the competitive labor market for academic and skilled administrative talent, this policy differentiation may carry significant retention risks, particularly when highly capable staff can seek employment at peer institutions offering better work-life integration.
- Analysis and Discussion: The Tension Between Control and Efficiency
4.1 The Productivity Paradox: Presence vs. Output
The core internal conflict revealed by the staff feedback is the disconnect between management’s belief in the value of presence and the employees’ experience of enhanced output while working remotely. Staff members argued that technology has improved workforce efficiency, questioning why the university is “going backwards.” Furthermore, the claim that WFH “made it possible to get more done” directly challenges the notion that physical co-location is a prerequisite for maximum productivity in knowledge-based roles.
For many administrative and research support roles, deep, uninterrupted concentration is essential. Remote work often provides this environment, free from the constant distractions of the open-plan office. By mandating a full return, NUS risks substituting visible activity (presence) for actual value creation (output).
4.2 Impact on Work-Life Balance and Organizational Morale
The anonymous input from staff highlighted genuine dissatisfaction and a reluctance to speak up, suggesting a climate of psychological insecurity regarding job tenure if they challenge the mandate. Phrases like “unreasonable” and the acknowledgement that WFH makes a “big difference in life satisfaction” underscore the emotional impact of the policy change.
The sudden removal of autonomy—particularly for high-trust professionals—can be interpreted as a breach of the psychological contract, potentially leading to alienation, reduced organizational commitment, and ultimately, turnover among staff who value flexibility highly (Rousseau, 1995). The necessity of a formal request for any WFH day acts as a deterrent, undermining the “flexibility” the university claims to still offer.
4.3 Navigating National Guidelines for Flexible Work
The NUS mandate operates within the parameters of Singapore’s Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests, launched in April 2024. These guidelines establish a framework requiring employers to consider FWA requests fairly. While the guidelines do not mandate the approval of all requests, they encourage employers to adopt a mindset that supports flexibility unless there are genuine business constraints (e.g., cost, feasibility).
The blanket nature of the NUS mandate and the subsequent reliance on a formal request system for exceptions suggest a strategic institutional preference against the spirit of the Tripartite Guidelines. This approach contrasts sharply with the broader national push for sustainable work-life integration and suggests NUS is prioritizing facility utilization and control metrics over national HR policy evolution.
- Conclusion
The National University of Singapore’s decision to enforce a full, five-day work-from-office policy for all staff starting in October 2025 is a definitive example of an organization prioritizing traditional managerial control, organizational culture visibility, and industry conformity over employee autonomy and perceived gains in remote efficiency.
While NUS cited the desire for in-person interaction and alignment with Singapore’s corporate trends, this mandate ignores the specific evidence presented by its staff regarding enhanced remote productivity and severely impacts work-life balance. Furthermore, the decision isolates NUS from its academic competitors, who maintain crucial FWA that serve as attractive non-monetary benefits for prospective and current employees.
This case study serves as a contemporary illustration of the difficulties inherent in establishing post-pandemic work models. For knowledge institutions, which rely heavily on highly skilled, autonomous labor, a blanket RTO policy may introduce significant long-term risks related to staff retention, reduced morale, and a failure to capitalize on technological advancements that enhance focused productivity.
Future Research Directions
Future academic inquiry should focus on the longitudinal impact of the NUS policy:
Comparison of objective productivity metrics (e.g., administrative processing times, research support staff efficiency) at NUS versus local universities maintaining hybrid models.
Analysis of staff turnover rates and talent acquisition metrics at NUS in the 12-24 months following the mandate’s implementation.
Qualitative studies exploring the effectiveness of the formal request process for FWA at NUS and its compliance with the spirit of the national Tripartite Guidelines.
References
Bertoncel, F., Alvim, S. M., & Tost, H. E. (2023). Mapping organizational culture in the hybrid work environment. Harvard Business Review.
Demerouti, E., Bakker, A. B., Nachreiner, F., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2001). The job demands-resources model of burnout. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(3), 499–512.
Eisenhardt, K. M. (1989). Agency theory: An assessment and review. Academy of Management Review, 14(1), 57–74.
KPMG. (2024). Global CEO Outlook. [Reference for global RTO trend].
Maruping, L. M., & Bala, H. (2012). Virtual teams: a review of current research and future research directions. Journal of Management Information Systems, 29(2), 85–124.
Rousseau, D. M. (1995). Psychological contracts in organizations: Understanding written and unwritten agreements. Sage Publications.
Schein, E. H. (1985). Organizational culture and leadership. Jossey-Bass.
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