Taking Care of Employees At Every Stage

Judging by how quickly new hotels are opening for business, competition is likely to be stiff for experienced manpower. You could call it an employees’ market, with a raft of options available for workers in the hotel sector.

The challenge is in attracting and retaining staff - so what are the hotels doing about this?

Hotels like the InterContinental Singapore are working on a robust benefit structure focused on the well-being and development of their team. Its Director of Human Resources Gabrielle Choy added that the hotel is continuously reviewing and enhancing their employee benefits to better attract and retain talent.

“Working closely with the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and Workforce Singapore (WSG), we strive to have at least 20 per cent of our employees commence on the Flexible Work Arrangements by end-2018,” she said.

Key Benefits

In addition to flexible working arrangements such as staggered working hours and telecommuting options, other highlights of the enhanced employee benefits include extended maternity and paternity leave and extending the re-employment age to 68.

“The key considerations in the development of these benefits revolved around ensuring that employees under different work arrangements and schedules in various parts of the hotel are able to enjoy the new enhanced benefits and how InterContinental Singapore can be a part of our employees’ lives at different stages, understanding their needs and facilitating their career growth,” said Miss Choy.

Please see below for list of enhanced benefits.

Supported by the Union

Central to the hotel’s development of these new benefits is the good labour-management relationship it shares with the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union (FDAWU).

“We ensure that we keep our union representative in our discussions and achieve outcomes that are beneficial to our employees. The union also provided advice and shared best practices within and outside of the industry. This provided us with greater perspective and key learning from other organisations. InterContinental Singapore also works with WSG and taps on the Work-Life Grant supported by the government agency,” said Miss Choy.

FDAWU Vice-President Susan Lee said: “Good labour management relations have helped create a supportive environment with more flexible work arrangements and family-friendly practices in the workplace for employees.”

At A Glance: Enhanced Benefits

Extended Maternity and Paternity Leave

Female employees at InterContinental Singapore will receive six months of paid maternity leave. Male employees who are not eligible for paternity leave funded by the Government will be entitled to five days of paid paternity leave.

Flexible Work Arrangements

InterContinental Singapore endorses job-sharing, staggered working hours and telecommuting arrangements to facilitate the needs of employees. This is in addition to its current Family Care Leave that permits up to five working days of paid leave for employees to take care of immediate family members.

Encashment and Purchase of Annual Leave

Employees enjoy the flexibility to encash accrued annual leave or purchase annual leave in addition to their entitlement.

Cross Training

Employees are given the opportunity to be trained in another job function for up to five working days per calendar year, allowing them to upgrade their skills for versatility in career development.

Flexible Benefits Scheme

To cultivate a healthy balance between work and wellness, employees enjoy Flexible Benefits redemptions for union and gym membership fees, yoga and Pilates classes, flight tickets, Traditional Chinese Medicine treatments, and outpatient expenses for immediate family members. This is in addition to the current options of dental and optical care, health screening and the Portable Medical Benefits Scheme.

Paid Volunteer Leave

Each employee is granted paid volunteer leave for community programmes at registered charity organisations of their choice or to engage in activities to support IHG Foundation, a non-profit organisation with four key areas of focus, namely hospitality skills development, disaster relief, local community investment and environmental sustainability.

Retirement and Re-employment Scheme

Employees who turn 62 years old are eligible for re-employment up to the age of 68 years old, one year more than the requirement by the Ministry of Manpower.