Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what has been the take-up rate of the Enabling Mark since its introduction in 2020 and whether it shows an upward trend; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider introducing financial incentives to encourage more employers to adopt it as a form of recognition for progressive employment practices.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Since the Enabling Mark accreditation was introduced in October 2020, the cumulative number of organisations that have received Enabling Mark accreditation has increased from 89 organisations in 2021 to 246 organisations in 2024.
The Enabling Mark is a national-level accreditation framework for organisations to benchmark and recognise their best practices and outcomes in disability-inclusive employment. It also serves as a roadmap for organisations to systematically chart their progress and strengthen their inclusive practices over time. Organisations that have applied for the Enabling Mark accreditation appreciate that the framework supports them in their journey to improve inclusive employment practices and, also, enables them to build a positive corporate image by demonstrating their efforts in inclusive hiring.
We have put in measures over the years to support employers to strengthen inclusive employment practices. Under the Open Door Programme, employers can tap on customised employment support from trained job coaches as well as grants to support job redesign and workshops to prepare them and their employees without disabilities to interact, hire, integrate and retain employees with disabilities in their organisation.
In addition, employers receive wage offsets through the Enabling Employment Credit, for employees with disabilities earning below $4,000 per month. We will also introduce a new Employer Development Grant, from 1 January 2025 onwards, to empower employers to build up their inclusive hiring capabilities. This will enable them to scale up efforts to hire persons with disabilities and support their long-term retention.
Ministry of Social and Family Development
13 November 2024
https://sprs.parl.gov.sg/search/#/sprs3topic?reportid=written-answer-18319
Office of the Leader of the Opposition 