Retail Asia 2018 RA September.October 2018 (Online) | Page 33

FOCUS
with augmentative and alternative
communication devices today. Pal
stresses: “Not all disabilities are apparent;
therefore, we encourage co-workers and
supervisors who are unsure about the
needs of a colleague with a disability to
ask and clarify.”
Another mistake that employers
make is getting colleagues to cover
any of the tasks that the person with
disability is not able to do instead of
doing a task swap. For instance, a person
with intellectual disability may not be
able to perform a cashier’s job but is
able to do other tasks, so swapping the
tasks with something the person with
disability is able to manage is a way of
balancing the workload in the team, he
adds.
“We hope that unsuccessful hires will
not deter [retailers] from hiring persons
with disabilities in future. After all,
‘unsuitable hires’ could occur among able-
bodied hires as well,” Pal concludes. ra
Exemplary employers
THERE are many companies in Singapore
that have made great strides in building
a more inclusive workforce including
those in the retail sector. Through
SPD’s programmes such as Transition
to Employment and Employment
Support Programme, Abhimanyau
Pal, executive director, SPD, says the
organisation has helped to place people
with disabilities in sales positions in a
telecommunications company as well as
store assistants with supermarket chains.
Apparel retailer Uniqlo has also
hired more staff who have disabilities
for its shop floor, especially those with
intellectual disabilities, according to Dr
Marissa Lee Medjeral-Mills, executive
director, Disabled People’s Association.
A Uniqlo spokesperson told R ETAIL
A SIA that the company strives to foster
personal, corporate and community
growth by respecting individuals and
creating an environment that helps
its staff become globally competent
workers. “By respecting individuals and
creating a diverse and inclusive working
environment, we can play our role in
giving people — no matter who they
are — the opportunity to take pride in
their work. We believe that by doing so,
Uniqlo can become an indispensable
part of communities throughout the
world,” she says.
Uniqlo Singapore has been actively
hiring people with disabilities since 2009
and aims to hire at least one person
with disabilities per store. “Similar
to what we have observed at Uniqlo
stores in Japan, we are seeing greater
consideration and thoughtfulness for
others among our employees here,
as a result of working alongside
individuals with disabilities. By working
together as a team, Uniqlo’s employees
create a culture of understanding and
respect, which ultimately contributes
to better customer service and a
stronger community,” the spokesperson
continues.
Jaieden Shen, head, Movement for
the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore
(MINDS) Hi-Job! JPJS (Job Placement/
Job Support) Programme, also shares
that Uniqlo, FairPrice, Cheers and Giant
have employed more than 80 of MINDS’
clients in their retail stores, mostly in
customised job-carved positions such as
merchandising.
He expounds: “Like any employees,
each differently-abled individual has
their own strengths, skillsets, support
strategies and job accommodations
required to sustain well on the job. These
retail companies are open to working
closely with the job coaches from MINDS
to co-plan and create suitable job-carved
opportunities. They are also open to
setting up reasonable accommodations
such as shorter working hours and
day shifts to help novice job seekers
gradually build up their confidence and
work endurance.”
He advises that open
communication is essential for
employee’s sustainability on the job
and it is important for employers to not
only share their constructive feedback
but also be receptive to the professional
recommendations made by the job
coaches. Such positive rapport helps
employees with disabilities sustain and
succeed well in their jobs.
On a final note, Medjeral-Mills
assures: “Retailers should not be put off
by the preparations needed as there are
many organisations that can help with
that.” ra
Uniqlo Singapore has been actively hiring people with disabilities since 2009 and aims to hire at least one person with disabilities
per store.
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