64% Of PwDs Successfully Hired via Return to Work Programme

As of January 31, 64.4% of persons with disabilities (PwDs) in the Return to Work (RTW) programme had been rehabilitated and reintegrated into employment.

The initiative was started by the Social Security Organization (Socso), in which 42,187 out of 65,495 persons were successfully hired.

 

Improving workplace inclusion

Gayathri Vadivel, Socso's head of employment, said the concept had helped in raising workplace inclusion.

"At the time, we were knocking on companies' doors, requesting that they consider hiring this group."

"But along the way, the model worked out fairly well, where we had a lot of individual support from Socso, to the client to the beneficiary, providing this support system with the family as well as the employer," she said.

To make this possible, Gayathri highlighted how employers can hire PwDs and employment-injured persons, such as: 

• Changing the mindset,

• Practice creativity, and

• Having flexible management style, such as providing accommodation and introducing work-sharing. 

 

As of Jan 31, 64.4% of people with disabilities (PwDs) in the Return to Work programme had been rehabilitated and reintegrated into employment.​
 

Another method is for Socso to coach businesses on how to include this group. She said that Socso went to all states to educate employers on the various disabilities, how to address them, manage the workplace and support their employment. 

She added that some of the training is conducted by PwDs themselves so employers can understand their potential.

After Socso saw an increase in the number of employment injury cases, the organisation introduced RTW in 2007 to assist PwDs in reintegrating into the workplace as quickly as possible.

 

How diversity and inclusion can help companies

A "Let's Talk Series" on the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace was organised by Roche (M) Sdn Bhd. Its GM Deepti Saraf said that it is vital in scientific advancements as not all medicines work the same in everyone.

"Disease outcomes, drug responses, vary by population, genetic profile, which is obviously different by your race, ethnicity and gender sometimes so you experience diseases differently, and the outcomes from therapy can be very different.

"This makes it very, very crucial for us as a pharmaceutical company based on research and development to include them so that we can create solutions that are meaningful, and provide better outcomes to all kinds of patients," she explained.

From a scientific standpoint, each person carries specific biomarkers which work like a genetic profile, to which medications react differently.

"We actually want to build healthcare systems, which can recognise and value people for their unique genetic profile and bring treatment to them based on this because that will allow more people to have a better chance at cures, and can live longer," Saraf added.

Hiring a diversified team of researchers and scientists would allow the organisation to create personalised healthcare.

 

More women holding senior leadership roles in Malaysia

According to Grant Thornton's annual Women in Business report, women held 37% of senior leadership roles in Malaysia last year. The number was the highest recorded despite the pandemic which has impacted businesses and economies worldwide.

The percentage increased from 31% in 2020, and also surpassed the global rate of 31%.

Women's gender duties, such as being the family's caregiver, have made it harder for them to advance in the profession. Arno Kamm, GM of Roche Services and Solutions in APAC, stated that 44% of Roche's senior positions are held by women.

"Since we see many times our women employees had to stop their career to give birth and take care of their children then they go back to work, we held supportive programmes for them and there are no policies to prevent it," he said.

Roche offers a Career Comeback Program for working moms who had to take on the role of a caregiver, allowing them to return to work and advance professionally and personally.

"In terms of women leadership at Roche, we are proud of our progress on gender equality and this is still embedded in our goals, objectives, both long-term and short-term," Kamm explained.

Source: The Malaysian Reserve