Latest news with #TripartiteGuidelinesonFlexibleWorkArrangementRequests
Business Times
30-04-2025
- Business
- Business Times
NTUC will collaborate with tripartite partners to protect all workers from tariff impact
[SINGAPORE] The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) is closely monitoring the impact of the global tariff situation on workers, and – as part of the Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce – will work with tripartite partners to support them. 'As global events reshape our world in these uncertain times, Singapore is not immune, especially to the impact of intensifying global trade tensions,' said NTUC president K Thanaletchimi and secretary-general Ng Chee Meng in a joint May Day message on Wednesday (Apr 30). The labour movement will help workers overcome challenges and seize new opportunities, they added. Thanaletchimi and Ng emphasised NTUC's strong relationships with its tripartite partners: the Ministry of Manpower and the Singapore National Employers Federation. In collaborating, the three 'reinforce Singapore's stability and resilience and ensure shared economic and social progress', they said. The labour movement's 'deep-rooted symbiotic relationship' with the government continues to uplift workers and ensure sustainable progress for the Republic, they added. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Support for all groups The labour leaders also gave an overview of what NTUC is doing for different groups of workers, from young people to working caregivers. Through tailored programmes for youth members, NTUC helps them transition from school to work. The NTUC Starter Awards, introduced in 2024, is a bond-free scholarship and leadership programme to support them in their education and leadership skills development. For professionals, managers and executives (PMEs), NTUC has initiatives for mentorship and guidance on career progression. As for older workers, NTUC has 'long advocated' for them to remain in the workforce for as long as they like. In the Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment, NTUC will endeavour to provide them with upskilling opportunities and workplace support. For working caregivers, NTUC contributed to the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests, by which employers are obliged to fairly consider their staff's flexible work requests. Similarly, platform workers benefit from the protections under the Platform Workers Act. The labour movement has also pushed for the Workplace Fairness Act to ensure 'fair opportunities and a level playing field amidst foreign competition' for workers, especially PMEs. Under the Complementarity Assessment Framework for Employment Pass (EP) applicants, NTUC awards the Strategic Economic Priorities bonus to employers that implement local workforce training, to ensure that EP holders complement local workforce development. The labour leaders also highlighted how NTUC's Company Training Committee initiative has been synchronised with SkillsFuture Singapore's SkillsFuture Queen Bee programme, in which larger companies help to upskill suppliers. 'More workers across a broader ecosystem of suppliers will be upskilled, while businesses enjoy productivity gains,' they said.
Straits Times
30-04-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Family meal allowances, medical coverage for dependents: How firm cares for staff's loved ones too
Ms Cynthia Liang (left) and her son participate in an activity together at her workplace during Bring Your Kids To Work Day. PHOTO: SINGAPORE LAND GROUP BRANDED CONTENT Family meal allowances, medical coverage for dependents: How firm cares for staff's loved ones too At Singapore Land Group, employees are supported not just in the work they do, but also in their roles as parents and caregivers This year, Ms Cynthia Liang faces one of the most stressful challenges for parents in Singapore – preparing her son for the PSLE. However, she finds comfort in knowing that she can request more work-from-home (WFH) days to support him better. 'Just being there makes a difference,' says the 43-year-old assistant general manager at Singapore Land Group (SingLand). 'I may not be able to help him with his schoolwork, but he can tell me what he's struggling with and I can lend a listening ear. Having someone who cares for him by his side will help with his mental state.' Caring for employees and their families SingLand's adoption of a flexible WFH policy – two years before the release of the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests which sets out the process for employees to formally request such arrangements – underscores the real estate firm's progressive approach to work-life balance. This policy has greatly benefited its workforce – nearly half of whom are women and many are juggling parenting or caregiving responsibilities. 'Something as simple as being able to work from home can actually allow you to be a better parent while still fulfilling your work responsibilities,' says Ms Liang. For the mother of three boys, the firm's annual $500 medical expense coverage for dependents of employees has also lightened her financial load. The amount can be used for spouses and children. 'Kids get sick quite often, and with three kids, it really adds up. At least, I don't have to worry too much when they see the doctor so frequently.' Such family-centric policies and benefits are a key reason SingLand has been named one of Singapore's best 250 employers, in a list compiled by global research firm Statista in collaboration with The Straits Times. These policies and perks embody the company's belief that work and family life are not a zero-sum game; employees should be able to prioritise both without compromise. 'Family is important to SingLand and its employees,' says Ms Welch Er, head of human resources (HR). 'Knowing their loved ones are well-cared for allows employees to focus on and engage fully with their work.' In a companywide Your Voice Survey conducted in 2024, three in four employees said they would recommend SingLand as a great place to work at. Unlike traditional companies that might expect employees to leave their personal lives at the door, SingLand takes the opposite approach. The company designates June as 'Family Month' and organises various activities for employees and their family. One such event was 'Bring Your Kids To Work Day', held in 2023. During the event, Ms Liang's sons, along with other children, received Lego sets, enjoyed magic shows and toured the company's departments to learn about their functions. Events like 'Bring Your Kids To Work Day' let staff share with their children what they do at work. PHOTO: SINGAPORE LAND GROUP 'My three boys had a lot of fun,' she says. 'They know I go to work every day, but the office is like a 'black hole' in their minds. Now they have a glimpse of my nine-to-five life.' Such events also allow employees to relate to one another beyond mere job titles, deepening mutual understanding. These opportunities to engage employees' families and foster connections among staff continue well beyond the month of June. Throughout the year, employees can bring their children to team events, such as pickleball matches. They also receive a yearly $100 allowance for family meals – a small gesture that emphasises the importance of quality family time. Ms Er says: 'These initiatives help nurture close-knit families, which naturally shapes our family-like company culture. Employees should feel at home when they come to work.' Strong support networks at home and in the office contribute to employee resilience and well-being. Based on findings from the Your Voice Survey 2024, SingLand is ranked near the top 70th percentile among companies that participated in a Gallup survey in Singapore on employee well-being and work-life balance. A culture of trust and openness To support employee self-care, SingLand offers three days of Medical Time-Off annually, allowing employees to attend routine health and dental check-ups without using their annual leave. Ms Liang says: 'It's helpful because such appointments are often scheduled during the workday. It's super hard to get an appointment after 6pm.' In 2025, the company introduced Sick Leave without a medical certificate, which allows employees to take time off to recuperate at home if they are unwell without the need for a visit to the doctor. Ms Er explains: 'This reduces their anxiety about having to wait for an hour for a consultation, especially when they already have medicine at home and don't really need to see the doctor.' To Ms Liang, these benefits not only offer employees greater autonomy in managing their health, but also communicate the employer's trust in its staff. 'It shows that the company thinks of us as adults who can manage our own work, instead of being suspicious of us,' she says. This trust and care extended to employees have shaped an open culture at SingLand. This translates even to the office's redesign in 2023. When staff returned to the office after the Covid-19 pandemic, they found their cubicles had been replaced with an open-plan layout. In the office's cafe-style pantry, employees come together for lunch and to celebrate birthdays, a ritual that SingLand supports by sponsoring birthday cakes. The company also promotes healthy eating with a weekly distribution of fruits in the pantry, offering employees an opportunity to gather and catch up with one another. The workplace overhaul created opportunities for informal bonding that Ms Liang, an introvert, 'never thought she needed'. The open-plan office has also changed the way employees work. No longer are employees separated by partitions or required to knock on doors. Now, Ms Liang and her colleagues can simply stand up at their table and immediately discuss their work face-to-face. 'It's a seed HR has planted to allow for serendipitous meetings. These things may seem insignificant, but they actually create a certain type of magic,' she says. Empowering women at work Women Inspired to Thrive is a ground-up initiative that supports female employees balancing work and home. PHOTO: SINGAPORE LAND GROUP Another employee-focused initiative that SingLand has rolled out is Women Inspired to Thrive (WIT), an ground-up employee resource group led by the firm's head of legal, Ms Teo Hwee Ping. To support female employees who wear multiple hats at home and at work, WIT chairs bi-monthly closed-door sharing sessions on topics ranging from building confidence at work to managing personal finances. These sessions serve as an opportunity for introspection for employees like Ms Liang, who, for the last 12 years, has dedicated herself to both her role at SingLand and raising her three sons, often at the expense of personal development. 'It's very difficult for women. When you get to a stage when you have to mind your child, you have less time for self-improvement,' Ms Liang says. At a recent session on aligning work with one's strengths, she realised that a role recalibration might inject new energy into her work life. This led to a conversation with Ms Er, in exploring the possibilities of a job rotation into other potential roles which could benefit both Ms Liang and the company. 'It allowed me to take a step back, understand myself, and figure out how to move forward in my career,' she explains. WIT also promotes a culture of psychological safety. Employees who may initially be reluctant to speak up gain confidence in its supportive environment, eventually finding their voice in other settings. 'In this setting, you get to see the vulnerabilities of others, which can make you reevaluate your initial impressions. That's quite powerful,' Ms Liang adds. Read more about Singapore's Best Employers here. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
30-04-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Apple retains top spot among Singapore's best employers, with Asia Pacific Breweries at No. 2
Tech giant Apple has retained its ranking as Singapore's best employer. PHOTO: ST FILE Apple retains top spot among Singapore's best employers, with Asia Pacific Breweries at No. 2 SINGAPORE – Tech giant Apple has retained its ranking as Singapore's best employer in an annual league table compiled by The Straits Times and global research company Statista. Rounding up the top five are Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore (Heineken Asia Pacific), BMW Group Asia, The Lego Group and GSK . Singapore's Best Employers 2025 ranks the top 250 firms among companies and institutions that have at least 200 employees here. It is based on an online survey conducted in October and November 2024 that allowed eligible employees to recommend their own company as well as other employers within the same sector. The survey attracted responses from about 14,000 staff from 2,000 or so organisations in 27 sectors. The sector with the most number of employers was government services, with 24 on the top 250 list this year, said Statista analyst Wu Ruoh-Yiang. This sector includes ministries and statutory boards. Topping the government services sector list was the Singapore Civil Defence Force at 81st overall, followed by sovereign wealth fund GIC (83) and the Defence Science and Technology Agency (90). Ms Wu noted that there has been a steady increase in the number of awardees within the government services sector over the past five years. 'This strong showing may be linked to Singapore's global reputation for government excellence,' she said. Ms Swechha Mohapatra, an Institute for Human Resource Professionals certified senior professional, noted that rising rankings in the government services sector could also be attributed to purpose-driven work that contributes to nationwide initiatives. As a result, jobs in the government sector may even be more appealing to new work entrants who value meaningful roles. She added that in an uncertain environment, both employers and employees turn to the Government for stability and policies that align with the changing environment and employee needs. Ms Mohapatra noted that policies like the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests have attracted talented employees, making government roles 'equally competitive' with those in the private sector. With the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests – in effect since Dec 1, 2024 – both office and non-office staff can formally submit flexi-work requests. BMW Group Asia, a new entrant to the list of best employers, came in at No. 3. The company's managing director Lars Nielsen said the company supports workers' ambitions and encourages them to step out of their comfort zones and explore new fields of interest. 'If you are going to spend a majority of your time during the week at work, it's important that it's interesting, and even fun, at times,' he added. 'In today's world, salary and benefits aren't enough to retain talent that is looking for a career, and not just a job.' BMW Group Asia employee Gopinath Uthirapathi said the company's commitment to growing his professional development has resonated with him. 'What matters the most to me is the opportunity to do more and make an impact. The company and its leadership always have one eye on the company and another eye on its people,' he said. Mr Gopinath Uthirapathi said BMW Group Asia's commitment to growing his professional development has resonated with him. PHOTO: COURTESY OF GOPINATH UTHIRAPATHI Food and beverage company Koufu Group, another new entrant, said it conducts annual benchmarking exercises to ensure its salary packages remain attractive and competitive within the industry. Its chief financial officer Chua Sher Lin said the company, which came in seventh on the list, places importance on variable compensation, directly linking rewards to an individual's sales performance, the respective outlets and broader business units. The tiered incentive scheme has offered the potential for high-performing and loyal employees to increase their overall annual income by up to 30 per cent, said Koufu. Training programmes, which include food safety certification and customer service excellence courses, have also been part of its retention strategy to encourage improvement and innovation. This has led to 50 per cent of its 1,500-strong workforce having been with Koufu for more than three years. Ms Tracy Tan's role as an assistant manager in Koufu's learning and development department includes helping staff find purpose in their job and empowering them to create value and take pride in their work. 'I want to inspire hope, drive positive change, foster continuous learning and build resilience within our team. Koufu has given me the platform and trust to make this possible,' she said. Ms Tracy Tan, who works in the learning and development department at Koufu Group, helps staff find purpose in their job. PHOTO: COURTESY OF TRACY TAN Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis, which was ranked 38th in 2024, rose to ninth place this year. Ms Clarinda Ng, a patient advocacy manager at Novartis, said the company's 'unbossed' style of working has helped her navigate work more independently. 'That kind of trust and flexibility have been key drivers to my growth, both professionally and personally.' Ms Clarinda Ng said the 'unbossed' style of working at Novartis has helped her navigate work more independently. PHOTO: NOVARTIS How the survey was done The online survey was conducted anonymously. Participants could openly state their opinion without influence from their employer. Staff members were asked to rate their willingness to recommend their own employers to friends and family on a scale from 0 to 10 – where 0 means 'I wouldn't recommend my employer under any circumstances'. They were also asked questions in areas such as working conditions, salary, career growth potential and company image. The survey found that the strongest correlation with an employee's willingness to recommend their employer was their company's image. This was followed by factors like work atmosphere and the potential for career development. Ms Wu from Statista said statements such as 'employees speak highly of their employer', 'management is loyal to employees', and 'there is a climate of fairness and trust' showed particularly high correlations. 'This highlights the importance of reputation and workplace culture in shaping positive employee perceptions,' she noted. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
