SMALL businesses have been slow to introduce policies to re-employ their older workers.
To hasten the pace, a web portal has been set up by the National Trades Union Congress and the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises.
The portal (www.preparecommunity.com) was launched on Monday.
It shows the steps small businesses can take to get ready in time for the re-employment laws Singapore will introduce by January 2012.
The laws will require employers to rehire their workers when they reach 62. The acceptable terms of re-employment, such as wages and other benefits, are still being worked out.
Unionised companies, however, appear better prepared.
There are around 1,000 of these companies, big and small, and about 70 per cent have made a commitment to implement a system to re-employ older workers.
This was disclosed by NTUC deputy secretary-general Heng Chee How at a National Day observance ceremony today.
But when all businesses here are included, the proportion is dismal.
There are more than 100,000 businesses in Singapore but only 1 per cent have made a commitment to introducing re-employment policies in their companies.
ASME president Lawrence Leow said many SMEs, which make up the majority of businesses in Singapore, may be more focused on tackling the fall-out from the global economic downturn than with getting ready for re-employment.
- The Straits Times
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