Imagine this, one of your employees comes up to you and says that she can’t cope with taking care of her family and working at the same time. Meanwhile, a loyal 62-year-old employee who has worked for you for decades tells you his physically demanding job is taking a toll on his aged body.
What can a responsible boss do in such situations?
We know that many employers want to take good care of their workers, but sometimes the lack of resources and support can make doing that difficult.
Work-life balance and age-friendly jobs are two buzzwords that get thrown around a lot these days. We are also seeing an increase in the number of young and mature workers asking for these things from their employers.
Is there a grant that can help you with this? Yes, and it’s called WorkPro. The scheme is jointly developed by Manpower Ministry and Workforce Singapore, and supported by the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC).
Under the scheme, employers can get a grant of up to $480,000 to implement initiatives in the areas of:
- Good age management practices;
- Redesign workplaces and processes to create better jobs for older workers;
- Implement flexible work arrangements for all workers.
Funding Type and Amount
Here’s a breakdown of the grants in WorkPro, according to the Manpower Ministry:
| Funding support | Funding amount | Description |
| Age Management Grant | Up to $20,000 | For companies to:
|
| Job Redesign Grant | Up to $300,000 per company, multiple project applications are allowed. | For companies to create better jobs for older workers aged 50 and above.
Companies can apply for the Job Redesign Grant if they meet the following conditions:
|
| Work-Life Grant | Up to $40,000 – Developmental Grant.
Up to $120,000, over a three year period – FWA Incentive. |
Companies can use the grant to implement and sustain work-life strategies such as flexible work arrangements (FWAs).
|
Source: Ministry of Manpower
Interested yet?
SNEF and NTUC are official programme partners of the initiative. So, if you’re interested in applying, you can reach out to them through these contact points:
| Programme Partners | Phone | Website | ||
| NTUC | 6213 8383 | workpro@ntuc.org.sg | www.ntuc.org.sg | |
| NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) | 6474 0606 | followup@e2i.com.sg | www.e2i.com.sg | |
| SNEF | 6290 7694 | workpro@snef.org.sg | www.snef.org.sg |