Here's a round-up of the top HR new stories, updates and insights from the past month in Singapore.
🔸 71% of women surveyed in Singapore agree gender inequality exists at the workplace
Younger women aged 18-24 were most likely to say there is gender disparity at the workplace (74%), versus a much lower 5% who said there is none.
While the labour force participation rate and median gross monthly income for women in Singapore continued to see a year-on-year increase in 2021, a recent survey shows that gender equality in the workplace "remains elusive", with seven in 10 (71%) women agreeing that men and women experience unequal treatment at work.
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🔸 Small businesses in Singapore aim to stamp out workplace gender bias
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore are seeking to stamp out gender bias and harassment in the workplace, partnering with labour union NTUC to set up policies such as proper grievance handling procedures and disciplinary actions.
NTUC will also provide training materials, webinars, and a sample human resource policy manual that SMEs can use to improve gender equality and anti-harassment policies and practices in their firms.
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🔸 How to manage talent in a world of digital transformation
For digital transformation to be successful, organisations need to find, develop, and retain the right talent.
For many organisations, the last two years have seen a rapid acceleration in their digital transformation journeys as they first managed the transition to remote work and latterly, to a hybrid work model.
As many have since gone on to find out, finding, developing, and retaining the right talent is crucial for digital transformation to be successful. With the pandemic having encouraged more streamlined operations and cost efficiencies, organisations are increasingly looking for answers internally.
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🔸 Singapore Announces SG$500 mil Jobs Support Package
Singapore’s Finance Minister Lawrence Wong announced a $500 million Singapore dollars ($372 million) package to support jobs and businesses as part of his budget proposals on Friday (Feb 18), adding that the government will extend separate targeted help for the struggling aviation sector.
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🔸 5 Types of Job Scams in Singapore
The number of reported job scams in Singapore has skyrocketed during the pandemic, warned the police. Amidst tough economic times, people become easily lured with easy jobs and earn high incomes. Anti Scam Centre (ASC), Singapore’s police force for investigating scam-related crimes, has observed at least five types of job scams since the second half of 2021.
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🔸 Singapore reviews fair employment practices
Incentives that are based on employees' use of sick leave will be deemed as "unfair practice", says the Manpower Minister.
Companies that roll out attendance-related incentive schemes that consider workers’ use of sick leave will be going against Singapore’s Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices (TGFEP).
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🔸 Higher foreign employee salary thresholds to impact business costs; important to reskill locals
The increase in minimum qualifying salaries for new Employment Pass (EP) and S Pass applicants could make it harder for businesses to recover from the existing economic loss brought about by the pandemic. Companies should continue to build a strong local workforce by reskilling their local employees to mitigate this, however hiring of Singaporeans continues to be challenging in a tight labour market.
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🔸 Some 29% of gig workers in Singapore work almost 60 hours a week
Gig delivery workers in Singapore work almost 60 hours a week, according to a survey by the National University of Singapore’s Institute of Policy Studies.
About 29% of drivers work more than 59 hours a week, the report said. Such workers are also under pressure to hit certain targets, and include incentives that require “drivers to work non-stop for 14 to 16 hours a day”.
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