Singapore today Saturday November 5, 2011 18
Keeping older
workers healthy ...
oNg dai LiN Khor, who was the guest of honour at the
dailin@mediacorp.com.sg
conference, said “a basic starting point” of
SINGAPORE — A health corner where workers extending the relevance of workers to the
can measure their blood pressure and weight. workplace “is to help workers remain healthy
Weekly Monday morning exercises for them and fit for work for as long as possible”.
to keep fit. Investment in machinery to ease “We also understand that one of the key
workers’ burden of carrying heavy cartons. reservations of employers to employing older
These are some of the measures that cor- workers would be the impact of an ageing
rugated box manufacturer TCG Rengo Singa- workforce on healthcare costs,” said Dr Khor,
pore has implemented to make the workplace who noted that the Government is trying to businesses need to create conditions where older workers can work longer. today fiLe piCture
friendlier for older workers, said company help by promoting proactive screening and She suggested that employers consider she added.
managing director Phua Thye Hin yesterday. management of chronic diseases. investing in preventive health programmes NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Seng
He was speaking at the final day of the Age- Dr Khor said with the re-employment at the workplace, put in place flexible work Han Thong, who delivered conference’s key-
Friendly Workforce Asia conference, which laws kicking in January, tripartite action arrangements to appeal to the needs of older note address, reiterated the benefits of em-
saw companies sharing their best practices. “needs to be focused on creating the condi- workers and review if work processes can be ploying older workers.
The Minister of State for Health, Dr Amy tions to enable older workers to work longer”. changed to help increase the productivity of “In those employments where experi-
the older workers. ence counts, the advantages of employing
But “while we can make the national mature workers outweigh the disadvantag-
context more conducive to workers”, workers es.” He said the perception of older workers
themselves “need to want to work longer and being “more expense and less productive in
take charge of their own career planning and many ways” has to be changed as “it assumes
development”, Dr Khor told the conference at that mature and young workers are mutu-
NTUC Building. ally exclusive in the process of delivering
“Individual workers must take respon- economic value”.
sibility for their own health management ... “What is needed is our ingenuity to make
They also need to make an effort to learn, un- innumerable combinations of matured and
learn and re-learn new knowledge and skills young workers to deliver sustainable eco-
to maintain their relevance in the workplace,” nomic value,” said Mr Seng.
¢ 29% of Nea reCruitS iN paSt fiNaNCiaL year Were 50 aNd above
out of the 410 new recruits that the ments and promotion opportunities.
national environment agency (nea) in addition, age is removed from
hired in the past financial year, 29 per job application forms so that the hiring
cent were aged 50 and above. departments will not be biased against
Ms gloria Chin, director of its human older workers.
resource division, shared at the conference Ms Chin stressed the importance of
yesterday that half of the agency’s 3,500 ensuring that good human resource policy
employees are currently aged 50 and above. measures are practised in the organisation.
“Being age-friendly has given us that Using the example of eliminating age
competitive edge as an employer to be from job application forms, Ms Chin said:
able to attract and retain Singaporeans,” “it is one thing to say that your recruitment
said Ms Chin, who also spoke on what is age neutral … but who can’t guess? i just
the nea had done to enhance the look at the year you did your o-Levels, the
employability of older workers. year you graduated, i can tell your age. “
For instance, the nea recently con- “So it’s one thing to have all these age-
ducted a job redesign exercise to expand neutral practices, it’s another to actually
the job scope of its daily-rated employees hire in the older worker,” said Ms Chin.
so that they can be given salary adjust- oNg dai LiN
Makeover for Kitchener Complex
SINGAPORE — Kitchener Complex, near added to serve residents.
Lavender MRT Station, will be the latest The makeover is expected to start in
Housing and Development Board (HDB) the second quarter of next year and be
commercial building to receive a fresh completed by 2013.
lease of life. To date, the HDB has upgraded four com-
The HDB said it will give the 25-year- mercial buildings — Joo Chiat Complex, Peo-
old complex an extensive makeover to ple’s Park Complex, Yew Tee Shopping Centre
transform it into a new lifestyle hub. and Gek Poh Shopping Centre.
Work will cover the retail podium and Kitchener Complex comprises two
also offer a much wider range of shopping, blocks, Block 808 and 809, located at the
F&B and retail outlets. junction of Horne Road and French Road.
A new childcare centre will also be CHaNNeL NeWSaSia