The tripartite partners have taken steps to help seniors continue working and contributing to the economy for as long as they can.
On 27 April 2018, they launched the Tripartite Standard on Age-Friendly Workplace Practices.
Making the announcement was Second Minister for Manpower Josephine Teo at a conference on Fair and Progressive Employment Practices organised by the Tripartite Alliance for Fair & Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP).
It’s the eighth in a series of tripartite standards for employers to adopt. The Tripartite Standards were introduced in 2017 to help employees and jobseekers to identify companies with progressive employment practices.
The earlier ones launched covered term contract employment, flexible work arrangements, grievance handling and recruitment practices.
Age-Friendly Practices
Here are the main points of the Standard.
- Don’t use age as age as a selection criterion for recruiting workers and address the issue of discrimination when hiring.
- Appoint a member from senior management to champion age-friendly workplace practices.
- Train older employees to perform their jobs effectively.
- Implement workplace health programmes for older employees.
- Ensure that workers stay productive and employable by continually upskilling and reskilling them.
- Design jobs and the workplace to be age-friendly.
- If other employees are also given annual increments, give annual increments to older employees who are not at the maximum of their salary ranges and have satisfactory work performances.
- Engage employees on re-employment issues at least six months before they reach their retirement age of 62.
“The new Standard will support older Singaporeans to work for as long as they are willing and able to, in jobs that are safer and smarter in a work environment they feel valued and where their needs are addressed,” emphasised Mrs Teo.
Early Adopter
More than 160 employers with 200,000 workers including those in the public service have already put their signatures to it.
One of them is Suntec Singapore which hosts nearly 1,500 events in a year.
Nearly half of its staff are 40 years old and above. By the end of this year, they will have 20 employees aged 60 and above.
One of them is Executive Sous Chef Foo Shee Fong, who has been with Suntec Singapore since its opening in 1994.
In 2017, Shee Fong reached the retirement age of 62 and was converted to the re-employment scheme. He and his team churn out nearly 10,000 meals daily for events at Suntec Singapore.
Suntec Singapore’s CEO Arun Madhok said taking care of staff well is key in helping the industry to progress.
“Only then will they take care of our customers. When we look at the Tripartite Standard on Age-Friendly Workplace Practices, it is a validation on the one hand that we are doing something correct in our company. If we are all able to deliver the same type of standards for all workers, then we will enrich our workforce and bring the industry forward and stay ahead of other countries and challenges in the sector,” he said.
Labour Movement’s Response
Labour Movement leaders applauded the latest Standard, with NTUC President Mary Liew urging mature workers to continuously embrace lifelong learning.
NTUC Deputy-Secretary General (DSG) and TAFEP co-chair Heng Chee How encouraged employers to come on board and implement the Standard. Mr Heng has been championing the cause of mature workers.
Writing on his Facebook page, he said “With an ageing population and local workforce, how companies and organisations in Singapore respond to that fact will impact heavily on their and their employees’ future. The launch of the Standard will help enhance the chances of all-round success in this key area.”
For more information on the various Tripartite Standards, visit www.tafep.sg
