2nd run
of afa for lww
The second run of the Alliance kick-started on 21 May 2022 with returning members of the Alliance and new members from different walks of life. Members were immersed in the theory of change map created by the Alliance in 2021 as a starting point to identify potential problems and areas to work on. They have since attended four workshops and many individual coaching clinics to develop their ideas into tangible solutions.
DPM Lawrence Wong and SMS Zaqy attended the third workshop to listen to the project pitches and offer guidance to support the projects. The AfA members reconvened on 4 March 2023 for the fourth workshop where they initiated the prototyping phase with the aim to conduct pilots with potential partners in the same year.
Here is the list of ongoing projects:
Strengthen respect and appreciation
Experience Day
A returning group from the first run, this group conducts events aimed at educating students on the work lower-wage workers do and the impact it creates so as to teach them to respect and appreciate these workers.
Status Update (as of March 2023):
The team organised 2 events with preschool children in September 2021 and November 2022, where they screened their self-produced videos – one on the work of a cleaner and another on the work of a security guard – and carried out an activity for the children to design thank-you cards for lower-wage workers. The team is preparing pedagogy and complementary materials such as teaching guides and learners’ workbooks for pre-schools to incorporate in their curriculum. They also plan to work with skilled instructional designers who can help them finetune their programme for maximum impact, as they are in the midst of preparing a proposal for their programme to be implemented by one of the larger preschool chains in Singapore.
FOSTER SUPPORTIVE WORK ENVIRONMENTS
Alpha Awards
Status Update (as of March 2023):
The team is in talks with an app developer to help them create a benchmarking product that will consist of a survey component, a mood meter application and a lesson learnt questionnaire. The benchmarking product will help companies assess how ethical their practices towards lower-wage workers are.
This group aims to create a system to recognise and reward employers who adopt ethical practices in managing their lower-wage workers. The goal is that over time, together with Progressive Wage Mark, companies who score well in this metrics, can be highlighted and their success stories can inspire more ethical behaviours.
Organisation of Conscience
Status Update (as of November 2022):
The team is planning to revamp the microsite to update the contents with relevant reading materials for organisations that are interested in alternative management styles and best practices, for the benefit of their lower-wage workers. Concurrently, the team is developing bite-sized Non-Violent Communication workshops to be piloted in partnership with interested employers.
A returning group from the first run, this ground-up movement encourages ethical employment practices by providing a one-stop platform for SMEs to gain access to enablers to be an ethical organisation.
Health Tracker
Status Update (as of March 2023):
The team has identified functions that might be useful to track through the smart watch. They are currently reaching out to partners to collaborate on testing the usefulness of these functions and the health tracker. They are also exploring alternative products in place of smart watches should the conversations and tests show that smart watches are not the most viable solution.
A proposal to convince employers to provide smart watches to lower-wage workers so as to improve their personal well-being and productivity where possible.
Rest Area Guidebook
Status Update (as of March 2023):
Creating comfortable rest areas in shopping malls is now easier than ever with the guidebook from the team. The guidebook offers customisable plug-and-play solutions for mall operators - 3 Malls and 1 office development have now improved existing rest areas for their workers! Now, the volunteers are working with other organisations to scale it up, while carrying out further validation studies on the final product to ensure that it is effective for mall operators.
A returning group from the first run, Rest Areas had successfully set up physical rest areas and also developed a guidebook that offers customisable plug-and-play solutions for mall operators to create rest areas for lower-wage workers in the retail sector.
INCREASE SUPPORT FOR UPSKILLING
SELF
Status Update (as of March 2023):
The team is actively identifying and reaching out to employers who are able to offer jobs that are suitable for single mothers. They have also developed a survey questionnaire to be used during the team’s interviews with single mothers to match them with available jobs.
This group is keen to help single mothers overcome the barriers that are preventing them from seeking long-term employment.
Project Possible
Status Update (as of March 2023):
Having already interviewed a number of individuals from low-income households to understand their concerns, Project Possible is looking for employers who are willing to be part of their job listings. The team’s current job-matching solution involves recruiting individuals from Family Service Centres and Voluntary Welfare Organisations, and giving them access to the curated list of available jobs to find their preferred role.
This group is keen to offer customised support for individuals from lower-income families to find meaningful and suitable jobs that suit their circumstances, such as needing flexible hours.
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First love --> Level Up
Status Update (as of March 2023):
The team is creating a coaching clinic curriculum and will be testing it out with potential employers and employees. The clinic aims to assist companies with realising their employees’ untapped potential, so that they can develop these employees through upskilling courses, which would eventually lead to their employees bringing more value to the company.
This group aims to conduct workshops to raise employer's awareness on upskilling opportunities within the company and the potential for greater business opportunities if lower-wage workers can upskill themselves.
empower workers to benefit from the progressive wage model
Wage Warriors
Status Update (as of March 2023):
The team is in the process of running interviews with security guards to identify their needs and training aspirations.
The team aims to create a one-stop information resource on training and development opportunities for security guards that are aligned with the Progressive Wage Model for the security sector.