Fear of redundancy is a common thought that goes through the minds of many once we reach a certain age in our careers.
More so during times like these, where COVID-19 has thrown the economy into disarray, casting both doubt and uncertainty on jobs and businesses.
But for 63-year-old Josephine Chua, she never once felt these fears in her 28-years of working as a food and beverage (F&B) service staff at the Singapore Island Country Club (SICC).
Now an F&B Captain, she shares her thoughts and experience on working at SICC – and how the company is dedicated to train its workers and retain its more mature employees.
She sat diagonally across the club’s boardroom table from me. She was noticeably nervous, but overall, still well composed.
After exchanging pleasantries, we talked about her job as well as her take on work.
“I am not someone who likes to change jobs,” she revealed in Mandarin.
“I used to work at manufacturing for 19 years before a friend recommended me in here, and I have been working here ever since.”
Complimenting her on her devotion to her work, she humbly replied: “My 28 years of service is not considered long. I have colleagues who have been here for over 40 years!”
She described her working life prior to the pandemic as lively, sharing that the establishment always had its fair share of customers throughout the day.
When COVID-19 cases started to rise and restrictions such as the Circuit Breaker was introduced, SICC was quick to react, pivoting their heavily dependent dine-in business model to take on food deliveries.
She said: “Since COVID-19 began, things have been quieter. There were also limitations on the number of people who can work at the restaurant. Initially, the company told us to take paid time off, and subsequently when there was really no need for additional manpower, the company asked us to use our leave to rest at home.”
Even with the decrease in patrons, Josephine explained that SICC never imposed any salary deductions. All staffs’ monthly variable component (MVC) were still given, and more recently, everyone was even awarded a bonus as well as an increment.
At the height of the pandemic, she also shared that management was there to check up on staff and their well-being through weekly virtual meetings. The meetings are currently still being conducted but have since been reduced to once a month.
In June 2021, to make better use of the lull period, SICC sent 83 of its workers for five days of training in areas such as service excellence, communications, and digital technology.
“It was definitely helpful, especially the class on digital technology. I learned how to use a personal digital assistant (PDA) to take orders instead of using pen and paper,” she shared, showing me the device in her apron pocket.
According to her, staff training is not just limited to periods of low activity, stating that she has been sent for some form of training by the club at least once every 12 months over the last few years.
When asked about her hopes for the future, Josephine simply wishes to be able to stay with the company for as long as she can still work.
“The club has never given me any cause for fears when it comes to retrenchment. I have previously heard from my colleague wanted to retire to look after her grandkids, but management offered to let her work on a part time basis instead. That is how much they value us,” she explained.
During an Operation & Technology Roadmap (OTR) workshop – which was organised by the Attractions, Resorts and Entertainment Union (AREU) and facilitated by NTUC’s Training and Transformation Unit in December 2020 – SICC set out the objective to be the country club leader in the region.
According to SICC General Manager Desmond Tay, the club strongly supports the learning and development of its employees, making proactive efforts to encourage employees to continue developing their job-related and professional skills.
He said: “On- and off-the-job training opportunities are offered to employees to enhance and develop relevant skills for them to develop their careers with us. We also offer career coaching, financial support or sponsorships and time off for employees to pursue professional certification or higher education for employees to develop themselves.
“For mature workers, we encourage them to have a growth mindset to remain employable and relevant by offering digital training to enhance their knowledge and skills.”
SICC also promotes workplace wellness, working closely with NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute), Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) and the Health Promotion Board (HPB) to offer employees virtual wellness workshops and talks to cultivate emotional and physical health to be more resilient during the pandemic.
