Tripartite partners issue guidelines to benefit cleaners and security officers, among others
By Sue-Ann Tan, The Straits Times, 10 Dec 2019
Workplaces are poised to become more comfortable for thousands of outsourced workers such as cleaners and security officers if an advisory by tripartite partners is widely adopted by companies.
These workers should all have access to proper rest areas with spaces to keep their belongings safe and drinking water, according to the advisory.
The guidelines were developed by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Singapore National Employers Federation.
They were made public by Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad yesterday and set out good practices that various companies can follow.
On a visit to Ikea Alexandra, which provides rest areas for its outsourced workers, Mr Zaqy advised companies to treat such workers as extended family, which would motivate them to do a good job.
There are about 77,000 resident workers in the cleaning, security and landscaping sectors.
The advisory, which is part of the Workcare initiative that Mr Zaqy launched in April, now recommends that they be given access to comfortable rest areas that also offer them a measure of privacy. The areas should have proper ventilation and lighting, with facilities such as lockers and drinking water.
More than 600 stakeholders, including property owners, service providers and workers, were consulted, and the MOM visited over 200 work premises such as foodcourts and shopping malls before the advisory was set out.
Mr Zaqy noted that 70 per cent of these work premises had rest areas for their outsourced workers, but some of the areas were not up to the mark in terms of quality.
The MOM added in a statement that some of these rest areas were unhygienic, had poor ventilation or lacked shelter.
"Minimally, rest areas should provide access to drinking water, proper seating areas for workers to rest and not be in the prying eyes of the public," said Mr Zaqy.
Given the maturity of Singapore's economy and society, he said, more could be done for the well-being of outsourced workers. But he wanted the initiative to look after these workers to come from companies themselves.
"We want employers to come on board because they care for workers, not because the Government regulates it. Most employers are willing, but the issue is practicality."
Mr Zaqy said some companies have space constraints or cost concerns, "but we are really just asking for a safekeeping area, seats and cool water".
He pointed to how Ikea Alexandra converted two parking spaces to make room for the rest area.
Mr Zainal Sapari, assistant secretary-general of NTUC, noted that older commercial buildings or properties such as condominiums might have difficulty finding rest areas for workers.
He said that even if building owners could not allocate a space for proper rest areas, they could look at sharing the facilities set aside for their employees with the outsourced workers. This would make for a more productive workforce, he pointed out.
Mr Zaqy said: "It is easier to always mandate things, but that does not create a culture. It is beyond putting a rest area in place, but about work culture and the perception that these workers are also part of the family."
By Sue-Ann Tan, The Straits Times, 10 Dec 2019
These workers should all have access to proper rest areas with spaces to keep their belongings safe and drinking water, according to the advisory.
The guidelines were developed by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Singapore National Employers Federation.
They were made public by Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad yesterday and set out good practices that various companies can follow.
On a visit to Ikea Alexandra, which provides rest areas for its outsourced workers, Mr Zaqy advised companies to treat such workers as extended family, which would motivate them to do a good job.
There are about 77,000 resident workers in the cleaning, security and landscaping sectors.
The advisory, which is part of the Workcare initiative that Mr Zaqy launched in April, now recommends that they be given access to comfortable rest areas that also offer them a measure of privacy. The areas should have proper ventilation and lighting, with facilities such as lockers and drinking water.
More than 600 stakeholders, including property owners, service providers and workers, were consulted, and the MOM visited over 200 work premises such as foodcourts and shopping malls before the advisory was set out.
Mr Zaqy noted that 70 per cent of these work premises had rest areas for their outsourced workers, but some of the areas were not up to the mark in terms of quality.
The MOM added in a statement that some of these rest areas were unhygienic, had poor ventilation or lacked shelter.
"Minimally, rest areas should provide access to drinking water, proper seating areas for workers to rest and not be in the prying eyes of the public," said Mr Zaqy.
Given the maturity of Singapore's economy and society, he said, more could be done for the well-being of outsourced workers. But he wanted the initiative to look after these workers to come from companies themselves.
"We want employers to come on board because they care for workers, not because the Government regulates it. Most employers are willing, but the issue is practicality."
Mr Zaqy said some companies have space constraints or cost concerns, "but we are really just asking for a safekeeping area, seats and cool water".
He pointed to how Ikea Alexandra converted two parking spaces to make room for the rest area.
Mr Zainal Sapari, assistant secretary-general of NTUC, noted that older commercial buildings or properties such as condominiums might have difficulty finding rest areas for workers.
He said that even if building owners could not allocate a space for proper rest areas, they could look at sharing the facilities set aside for their employees with the outsourced workers. This would make for a more productive workforce, he pointed out.
Mr Zaqy said: "It is easier to always mandate things, but that does not create a culture. It is beyond putting a rest area in place, but about work culture and the perception that these workers are also part of the family."
Efforts to improve rest areas for outsourced workers
By Sue-Ann Tan, The Straits Times, 10 Dec 2019
When officers from the Ministry of Manpower visited work sites to assess the working conditions of outsourced workers, one aspect jumped out.
Many companies were providing rest areas, but some were not conducive places where workers could take a break.
That is why Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad, who launched the tripartite advisory to provide rest areas for outsourced workers yesterday, said guidelines have to be set on what a proper rest area is.
Mr Zainal Sapari, assistant secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress, said: "For instance, less than 15 per cent of security officers feel that they have proper rest areas. But if you ask the management of a building, they will say they provided the rest area."
He observed that building managements might have told security officers to rest at the guardhouse, but this is not ideal for them.
"There is no privacy and members of the public can think the officers are not doing their work."
For cleaners, this depends on where they are located.
Those working at newer commercial buildings have good rest areas, while cleaners at older areas might need more support from employers, said Mr Zainal.
He added: "Some conservancy cleaners have rest areas carved out at the bin centres and this is not ideal as well."
Facilities service provider ISS, which has about 1,700 clients, said it is working with companies to provide proper rest areas for its workers.
It has about 10,000 employees in Singapore, of whom around 8,000 are cleaning crew members.
ISS assistant general manager Simon David said: "In general, the feedback we have received from workers is there is room for improvement. Some rest areas can have better ventilation, furniture and proper lighting.
"We will be working with our service buyers to do this in full force next year."
He noted that many companies have acted to provide rest areas after Mr Zaqy's initial announcement in Parliament in March.
"Even those that do provide rest areas can improve. We will work with building owners on this."
ISS provides cleaners to Ikea Alexandra, which has included a rest area for outsourced workers at the carpark since the store was opened in 1995.
The rest area was further expanded in 2008 and now spans 35 sq m, with air-conditioning, lockers, fridges, a microwave oven and furniture such as a couch, a table and chairs.
The outsourced workers also have access to a co-worker pantry, with subsidised meals at $2 and free tea and coffee.
Ikea Alexandra human resources manager Janet Lee said: "We feel that they should have their own place where they are comfortable mingling with their own team.
"We did not really consider the costs of having such a space. It is just part of operational building costs that include air-conditioning and lighting. We did not carve out a specific budget for this rest area."
Around 40 of the 55 outsourced workers use the rest area regularly. They include cleaners, the trolley team, landscapers and the air-conditioning service team.
One of them is Mr Lim See Beng, 66, a cleaner who has worked there for two years.
He said: "This rest area is very good, with everything I need. I take my food there and I chat with my friends. It is important as a place for me to rest."
Guidelines seen as good way to ensure rest areas for workers
By Melissa Heng, The Sunday Times, 22 Dec 2019
Spacious break rooms where workers can dine and bond, areas for morning exercises and pantries with free snacks and drinks.
These are just some of the features in current exemplary rest areas for outsourced workers.
For example, at Suntec City, outsourced workers, including cleaners, have access to an air-conditioned staff break room with comfortable tables, benches, microwave oven, a vending machine and water dispensers.
Ms Gina Toh, chief executive officer of ISS Singapore and Malaysia, which supplies cleaners to Suntec City, said the retention rate at the shopping mall is high, as most of the staff are happy working there.
She said: "A good rest area allows our employees to build a sense of belonging to their work place and be motivated, and in return this helps to increase quality of work and productivity, and reduce staff absenteeism and turnover."
But not all companies that hire outsourced workers provide good rest areas.
Earlier this month, guidelines for companies to provide proper rest areas for outsourced workers were released by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), National Trades Union Congress and Singapore National Employers Federation.
The Tripartite Advisory on Provision of Rest Areas for Outsourced Workers was part of the Government's Workcare programme that was launched in April to improve the work environment of low-wage workers such as cleaners and security officers.
Recommendations include providing outsourced workers with facilities to safe-keep their belongings, access to drinking water, and ensuring adequate ventilation at the rest areas.
Cleaning companies that The Sunday Times contacted said about 50 to 90 per cent of clients have rest areas for workers. Companies agreed that the guidelines are a positive step to ensuring that more companies provide decent and hygienic rest areas for workers.
Mr Kelvin Chang, human resource manager at Clean Lab, said: "Outsourced cleaners should be treated with respect and be given a proper rest area. As most of our cleaners are older employees, we also feel it is important for cleaning companies and the clients to make sure there is a proper well-being programme set in place for them, including having good rest areas."
About 70 per cent of Clean Lab's clients have rest areas for workers.
Mr Chang added that the new guidelines would also help to improve morale among the cleaners and reduce the high turnover rate in the cleaning industry.
Mr Daniel Thong, chief executive officer of office cleaning company Nimbus, said there is a direct correlation between how well the staff work and how they are treated.
"We have a very high retention rate for our workers, and our staff are very invested in our clients' success because they are also taken care of," he said. More than 90 per cent of the company's clients have proper rest areas for workers.
Mr Thong added that besides ensuring that workers have a good break room, more can also be done to ensure that working hours and work requirements are fair.
He said: "From a supply point of view, we also want to take care of our own staff. We make sure that they are not exploited or have unreasonable work requests. The space they are required to clean should be manageable for the allotted manpower and time frame that the client agrees to."
One suggestion would be for MOM to also give guidelines on how much manpower and time are required per square feet of space to be cleaned.
Mr Thong said: "Right now, this is not something that is talked about. I've seen spaces where too few cleaners are employed to clean a large space. A rest space is good, but at the end of the day if the client has an unreasonable expectation of what one headcount can do, then the rest area is moot."
Related
Tripartite partners release advisory on rest areas for outsourced workers -9 Dec 2019
By Sue-Ann Tan, The Straits Times, 10 Dec 2019
When officers from the Ministry of Manpower visited work sites to assess the working conditions of outsourced workers, one aspect jumped out.
Many companies were providing rest areas, but some were not conducive places where workers could take a break.
That is why Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad, who launched the tripartite advisory to provide rest areas for outsourced workers yesterday, said guidelines have to be set on what a proper rest area is.
Mr Zainal Sapari, assistant secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress, said: "For instance, less than 15 per cent of security officers feel that they have proper rest areas. But if you ask the management of a building, they will say they provided the rest area."
He observed that building managements might have told security officers to rest at the guardhouse, but this is not ideal for them.
"There is no privacy and members of the public can think the officers are not doing their work."
For cleaners, this depends on where they are located.
Those working at newer commercial buildings have good rest areas, while cleaners at older areas might need more support from employers, said Mr Zainal.
He added: "Some conservancy cleaners have rest areas carved out at the bin centres and this is not ideal as well."
Facilities service provider ISS, which has about 1,700 clients, said it is working with companies to provide proper rest areas for its workers.
It has about 10,000 employees in Singapore, of whom around 8,000 are cleaning crew members.
ISS assistant general manager Simon David said: "In general, the feedback we have received from workers is there is room for improvement. Some rest areas can have better ventilation, furniture and proper lighting.
"We will be working with our service buyers to do this in full force next year."
He noted that many companies have acted to provide rest areas after Mr Zaqy's initial announcement in Parliament in March.
"Even those that do provide rest areas can improve. We will work with building owners on this."
ISS provides cleaners to Ikea Alexandra, which has included a rest area for outsourced workers at the carpark since the store was opened in 1995.
The rest area was further expanded in 2008 and now spans 35 sq m, with air-conditioning, lockers, fridges, a microwave oven and furniture such as a couch, a table and chairs.
The outsourced workers also have access to a co-worker pantry, with subsidised meals at $2 and free tea and coffee.
Ikea Alexandra human resources manager Janet Lee said: "We feel that they should have their own place where they are comfortable mingling with their own team.
"We did not really consider the costs of having such a space. It is just part of operational building costs that include air-conditioning and lighting. We did not carve out a specific budget for this rest area."
Around 40 of the 55 outsourced workers use the rest area regularly. They include cleaners, the trolley team, landscapers and the air-conditioning service team.
One of them is Mr Lim See Beng, 66, a cleaner who has worked there for two years.
He said: "This rest area is very good, with everything I need. I take my food there and I chat with my friends. It is important as a place for me to rest."
Guidelines seen as good way to ensure rest areas for workers
By Melissa Heng, The Sunday Times, 22 Dec 2019
These are just some of the features in current exemplary rest areas for outsourced workers.
For example, at Suntec City, outsourced workers, including cleaners, have access to an air-conditioned staff break room with comfortable tables, benches, microwave oven, a vending machine and water dispensers.
Ms Gina Toh, chief executive officer of ISS Singapore and Malaysia, which supplies cleaners to Suntec City, said the retention rate at the shopping mall is high, as most of the staff are happy working there.
She said: "A good rest area allows our employees to build a sense of belonging to their work place and be motivated, and in return this helps to increase quality of work and productivity, and reduce staff absenteeism and turnover."
But not all companies that hire outsourced workers provide good rest areas.
Earlier this month, guidelines for companies to provide proper rest areas for outsourced workers were released by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), National Trades Union Congress and Singapore National Employers Federation.
The Tripartite Advisory on Provision of Rest Areas for Outsourced Workers was part of the Government's Workcare programme that was launched in April to improve the work environment of low-wage workers such as cleaners and security officers.
Recommendations include providing outsourced workers with facilities to safe-keep their belongings, access to drinking water, and ensuring adequate ventilation at the rest areas.
Cleaning companies that The Sunday Times contacted said about 50 to 90 per cent of clients have rest areas for workers. Companies agreed that the guidelines are a positive step to ensuring that more companies provide decent and hygienic rest areas for workers.
Mr Kelvin Chang, human resource manager at Clean Lab, said: "Outsourced cleaners should be treated with respect and be given a proper rest area. As most of our cleaners are older employees, we also feel it is important for cleaning companies and the clients to make sure there is a proper well-being programme set in place for them, including having good rest areas."
About 70 per cent of Clean Lab's clients have rest areas for workers.
Mr Chang added that the new guidelines would also help to improve morale among the cleaners and reduce the high turnover rate in the cleaning industry.
Mr Daniel Thong, chief executive officer of office cleaning company Nimbus, said there is a direct correlation between how well the staff work and how they are treated.
"We have a very high retention rate for our workers, and our staff are very invested in our clients' success because they are also taken care of," he said. More than 90 per cent of the company's clients have proper rest areas for workers.
Mr Thong added that besides ensuring that workers have a good break room, more can also be done to ensure that working hours and work requirements are fair.
He said: "From a supply point of view, we also want to take care of our own staff. We make sure that they are not exploited or have unreasonable work requests. The space they are required to clean should be manageable for the allotted manpower and time frame that the client agrees to."
One suggestion would be for MOM to also give guidelines on how much manpower and time are required per square feet of space to be cleaned.
Mr Thong said: "Right now, this is not something that is talked about. I've seen spaces where too few cleaners are employed to clean a large space. A rest space is good, but at the end of the day if the client has an unreasonable expectation of what one headcount can do, then the rest area is moot."
Related
Tripartite partners release advisory on rest areas for outsourced workers -9 Dec 2019
No comments:
Post a Comment