From Bird Paradise to Amara Hotel: How inclusive workplaces help improve operations, strengthen teamwork

In Singapore, inclusive workplaces have proven to enhance operational efficiency, foster teamwork, and deliver superior service by harnessing the unique skills and perspectives of employees with disabilities. Sarah-Jane Lishi Joseph, who has a mild intellectual disability, joined Mandai Wildlife Group (MWG) as a cook and initially prepared penguin-shaped icing decorations in the central kitchen.

Over time, she has progressed to preparing apple crumble and working across various departments. This progressive approach, which matches employees with suitable starting tasks, provides structured training, and offers room for growth, has proven beneficial not only for PWDs but also for the wider workforce.

Similarly, at Ah Meng Restaurant within the Singapore Zoo, service crew member Gabriel Sim, who also has a mild intellectual disability, began by wiping and sorting cutlery. As his confidence grew, he volunteered to help replenish supplies at the front counter. MWG's structured hiring and onboarding process involved allowing staff from the organization to attend disability awareness and customer inclusiveness training sessions, led by the national agency for disability, SG Enable.

Managers collaborated with SG Enable and other partners to assess employees' strengths, comfort levels, support needs, and preferred learning methods before assigning tasks.

MWG discovered that the integration of employees with disabilities improved team dynamics, fostering increased patience, understanding, and support among colleagues. Indran Nair, MWG's senior manager of food and beverage and Sim's buddy, noted that the growth and confidence of PWDs had positively impacted the entire team.

SG Enable, Singapore's national agency for disability, supports companies at various stages of their inclusive employment journey through recruitment outreach, job redesign, workplace integration, job coaching, assistive technology assessments, and grant support. They also steward the Enabling Mark, a national accreditation framework recognizing organizations' commitment to disability-inclusive employment.

The three-tiered Enabling Mark, ranging from Platinum to Gold, reflects an organization's maturity in disability-inclusive employment.

PF Board, Singapore's central Provident Fund, employs officers with disabilities in various areas such as information technology, customer service, and corporate functions. Their unique perspectives have contributed to designing better public services. For instance, when CPF Board prepared changes to the Matched Retirement Savings Scheme for younger Singaporeans with disabilities, they sought insights from officers with disabilities and caregivers, which helped identify potential difficulties and improve accessibility and inclusivity in service delivery.

Tey Chee Keong, group director, human capital management at CPF Board, emphasized that inclusion benefits both employees and the public, creating a more effective employer and service organization.