Inclusive employment programme growing in strength at UOB

SINGAPORE — In an office at UOB, the workspaces are colour-coded: Yellow is where new documents are placed, blue is for the documents that need to be scanned, and red is for documents for archival. In addition, there are little brightly-coloured stickers on the table to demarcate the various piles of documents.

These tweaks to make the workplace and processes more organised are how UOB creates an inclusive workplace for the 15 autistic employees it has hired for its Scan Hub, where customer documents for account openings and credit card applications, among other things, are checked, digitised and archived.

The bank started hiring persons with autism in 2013 — the first batch of six joined in October 2013 — in a collaboration with the Autism Resource Centre’s Employability and Employment Centre and this group now makes up 30 per cent of the office’s 50 staff members. Autism is a developmental disorder characterised by impaired social interaction and repetitive behaviour.

At a media tour of Scan Hub today (May 19), the bank said it has plans to do more. UOB Group’s head of group technology and operations Susan Hwee said there were many other forms of work the bank will explore in terms of hiring persons with autism. “There are also other areas of special needs that can be explored. The question is whether we can think out of the box ... and what technology today can provide that will enable such a workforce,” she added.

The bank will also be tapping on SG Enable’s Open Door Programme, which provides employers with financial support in the hiring of people with special needs.

President of the Autism Resource Centre and Member of Parliament for Moulmein-Kallang GRC Denise Phua, who was at the media tour today, said the partnership between the bank and her centre will “impact the employment landscape, and address the challenges currently facing the workforce”.