At UOB, we believe in creating and maintaining an inclusive and fair workplace that embraces all facets of diversity. We are committed to providing equal opportunities for all, based on merit and our values which reflect fairness, care and respect for our people.
Enabling the employment of people with disabilities
UOB has been a champion of disability inclusion since 2013, when UOB Scan Hub was set up in Singapore as a centre for digitising and archiving documents from various functions. At UOB Scan Hub, 35 per cent of our colleagues are persons with disabilities and we create meaningful employment and career opportunities based on their abilities.
“At UOB, we have seen that inclusive employment leads to clear business outcomes. Over the last eight years, our team at Scan Hub have consistently displayed a high level of productivity and their low turnover rate creates a stable workforce. By giving them equal opportunity to achieve financial and social independence through career progression, we firmly believe that inclusive hiring is a win-win for businesses and the community.”
Ms Susan Hwee
Head, Group Technology and Operations, UOB
In addition, UOB initiated the first private-public people programme called ‘The Unlimited’, through which we raise awareness of inclusive employment of persons with disabilities among other companies. Our commitment to disability-inclusive employment was recognised in Singapore when we received the Enabling Mark (Platinum) accreditation from SG Enable, the focal agency in Singapore which seeks to enable persons with disabilities. UOB was the only financial institution out of six organisations which won the Platinum accolade – the highest tier of accreditation. We were recognised at a ceremony held at the Istana and received the accreditation from the President of Singapore, Madam Halimah Yacob.
Celebrating gender diversity
Our efforts in building a diverse workforce include promoting diversity. We champion a supportive work environment in which our female colleagues can succeed in their career. In January 2021, we were recognised by Bloomberg in its Gender-Equality Index (GEI) for the third consecutive year as one of Singapore’s best inclusive workplaces. The Bloomberg GEI recognises companies worldwide that demonstrate commitment to advancing an inclusive workplace through their policies, workforce representation and transparency in gender-related practices. UOB was one of only six companies in Singapore to be represented in the Bloomberg GEI.
Women comprised 61.5 per cent of our workforce, up from 61.3 per cent in 2020;
Women represented 36.3 per cent of senior management, up from 35 per cent in 2020; and
Women comprised 55.6 per cent of our new hires, up from 55 per cent in 2020.
Women leaders series on MyUOB
In 2021, we featured a ‘If you can see it, you can be it’ series on MyUOB to profile our strong contingent of women leaders across different roles in the Group and region. The title of the series reflects the power and inspiration that this phrase gives to younger generations of women looking to explore career possibilities.
“Diversity has been shown to foster creativity and innovation. Men and women have different experiences and backgrounds which shape their approach to business. Challenging each other and collaborating with people who think differently can foster creativity and promote innovative ideas that push organisations forward.”
Mrs Christine Ip
Chief Executive Officer, Greater China, UOB
Pioneering the gig employment model
We are cognisant that Singapore is experiencing a rapidly-aging population where one in four people will be aged 65 years and above by 2030. As part of our inclusive people strategy and for the Group to continue tapping on the valuable skills and experience of mature colleagues, in November 2021 we announced a new gig employment model which enables retired employees to return to the workforce on a flexible basis.
"After I retired, I felt like there was more I could do with my time. Hence, it was great to have this opportunity to come back to work on a flexible basis and at the same time contribute in a meaningful way. Not only does it help me to stay active, it also gives me the opportunity to connect with the younger generation and to stay up to date on the latest trends.”
Mr Raymond Teo Choon Chuan
UOB retiree
“To train and to equip new joiners with the necessary skills and knowledge to operate in a bank branch can be a lengthy process. This typically involves extensive training in compliance, customer due diligence and understanding of our internal cash handling and transactional processes which is often difficult for temporary staff. This is why our retirees are so valuable as they can step into this role at short notice to fill our manpower gaps when needed. On a personal level, it is always great to have former colleagues joining us again once in a while, just like a family reunion.”
Mr Benny Chan
Head of Channels and Digitalisation in Singapore, UOB
Maintaining high standards in service of our customers
We are committed to fulfilling our customers’ expectations in a manner that is distinctive to UOB. To inspire us all to keep raising the standard of our values-based service – including colleagues who are not in customer-facing roles – we hold the biennial Group-wide Global Customer Commitments Awards to acknowledge our role models in this regard.
In 2021, we received 11,677 entries from colleagues across the Group for the individual and team award categories – an increase of 24 per cent compared with the previous year. This is a strong demonstration of our colleagues’ service and risk management mindset when serving our customers during these trying times. More than 800 colleagues attended the virtual awards ceremony to honour the eventual 27 individual and 12 team winners.
Embracing individual accountability and ownership
Our Risk Culture Framework includes safeguarding our reputation as we create long-term value for our stakeholders, maintaining a sound risk culture across our franchise and demonstrating our unique set of values through consistent behaviour.
promoting individual accountability of senior management and ensuring enhanced governance requirements are in place to support accountability;
strengthening oversight of material risk personnel; and
reinforcing standards of proper conduct among all colleagues.
“All of us have a responsibility to perform our duty because we are custodians of the public’s savings, which we in turn lend to borrowers for productive purposes. And behind all these borrowers are people who depend on these business activities for their livelihood. If we are irresponsible, it can lead to dire consequences for our customers, the workers and their families, as well as the economy and society. From this macro perspective, our individual accountability to do what is right for our customers ultimately determines the well-being of our society at large.”
Mr Chan Kok Seong
Group Chief Risk Officer, UOB
In addition to this policy, the steps we took to continue strengthening our risk-first approach included:
continuing our Speak Up initiative to encourage a psychologically-safe environment at work where colleagues feel secure in highlighting concerns to their line managers or through available channels for action and resolution;
increasing awareness of risk culture and speaking up across the Group through dedicated sites on MyUOB as well as through multi-media content posted on MyUOB to share our senior management’s views on managing risks; and
promoting risk culture in town halls and training sessions conducted by business and support units.
Driving productivity through technology
We continue to expand the range and quality of digital mobility tools available to colleagues. This is an important aspect in enabling deeper collaboration and efficiency among colleagues, especially in today’s hybrid working environment. Microsoft 365 applications As the need for remote working began reshaping the way we work, since 2020 we have seen:
a seven-fold increase in the time spent on virtual digital collaboration, from five million minutes to 33 million minutes a month; and
five-fold increase in messages sent through Microsoft Teams, from two million to nine million messages a month.
In anticipation of colleagues’ growing need for smart workplace solutions, we strengthened our technology infrastructure in 2021 to leverage cloud computing services across our markets. We also rolled out new workplace capabilities to our regional workforce, such as:
Microsoft 365 office apps
Microsoft Outlook Exchange
Increased mailbox size from 1 gigabyte (GB) to 100GB so colleagues need not archive emails that frequently to their computer’s hard disk or to a cloud storage; and
Mail archival to our cloud storage is made available for up to 1.5 terabytes (TB) worth of data space.
Microsoft OneDrive
Cloud file storage to save and to back up work files
Each colleague can now access Microsoft OneDrive with 1TB of storage space;
Files saved in Microsoft OneDrive are automatically backed up in the cloud. This ensures that the files can be safely retrieved even if a colleague’s computer becomes faulty; and
Multiple colleagues can work simultaneously on the same file saved in Microsoft OneDrive.
Microsoft Teams
Collaboration channel for colleagues to communicate with one another individually or in groups
Colleagues can set up and join meetings hosted on Microsoft Teams directly without having to go through the calendar function in their email account;
Files can be uploaded and shared directly with other colleagues in the same chat window while in a discussion without having to send them via email; and
Colleagues in the same group discussion can simultaneously edit the same work file uploaded onto Microsoft Teams.
To help colleagues learn how these new applications could help them in their daily work, we conducted various virtual training and sharing sessions. Live demonstrations and quick tips were provided during these sessions, followed by a question-and-answer segment.OneIdentity management application We are progressively upgrading our business application approval system to improve the speed of submitting and reviewing colleagues’ requests for technology applications and to reduce paper-based submissions for a more environmentally-friendly approach. Called OneIdentity, its capability includes:
simplified user interface and navigation for application requestors, approvers and administrators;
electronic forms and workflow-based process;
integrated dashboard for all requests to be approved by administrators; and
more robust reports for continuous monitoring and service improvements.
In 2021, OneIdentity was launched in China, Singapore and our overseas branches. Training sessions were conducted for colleagues to familiarise themselves with the new system.
Transforming our workspaces for higher efficiency
To support colleagues better as we move towards hybrid work arrangements, we have been transforming our workplaces into high-performance spaces that will encourage more collaboration and innovation among colleagues as well as agile team-based work while ensuring their safety and wellness.
Safety and control : Putting in place COVID-19 safe management measures;
Mobile and connected work environment : Using technology to help colleagues collaborate with one another and creating office spaces that can be used for different activities by individuals or groups of colleagues; and
Smart building technology : Installing sustainability features such as energy-efficient fixtures and equipment as well as adopting operational technologies to ensure critical building parameters are maintained at desirable levels.
Our Head office transformation and relocations projects in Malaysia and Thailand are expected to be completed in the coming year: UOB Plaza 1 Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia Designed by award-winning Japanese architect Tange Associates which was also the agency behind UOB Plazas 1 and 2 in Singapore, this 29-floor building in Kuala Lumpur (KL) represents our confidence in and commitment to Malaysia. The building has three distinct concepts:
Transforming Octagon : Paying homage to the octagonal shapes of the existing Menara UOB building in KL and UOB Plaza in Singapore, the new headquarters integrates octagonal floorplates at the bottom and top of the building while having a curved building façade;
Vertical Gardens : Casual exterior space with two sky gardens for socialising and to enable natural vertical ventilation to help cool the building; and
Lantern in the City : When lit, the building will look like a lantern, especially at night, to symbolise UOB Malaysia as a ‘light’ providing guidance and a pathway to a better future for customers, colleagues, partners and the wider community.
“The banking industry is changing and it is changing at a faster pace than most of us think. Most of us would think that being agile means to be versatile and having the ability to adapt, as and when required in a timely manner. But it is a lot more dynamic and can also mean empowering our people to choose where, how and when they want to work to optimise their performance. Our new head office is also a place that will be equipped with technologies that can make life and work a lot easier, an environment that is a lot more intuitive and secure.”
Mr Wong Kim Choong
Chief Executive Officer, UOB Malaysia
UOB Plaza Bangkok in Thailand
Team Zone : Primary work area for colleagues’ daily work;
Flex Zone : Open breakout area for colleagues to come together quickly for discussions;
Central Zone : Work cluster settings to support smaller teams and meetings; and
Convenient Zone : Social spots and a bistro café for colleagues to network and to interact in a more relaxed setting.
“The high-performance workplace transitions UOB Thailand into a purpose-led organisation and a happy place to work. It will enable a more agile way of working, closer collaboration and for colleagues to be able to respond quickly to the needs of our business and customers. It will also inspire and empower colleagues across all generations to be supportive of one another’s well-being.”
Mr Tan Choon Hin
President and Chief Executive Officer, UOB Thailand
Refreshing our office spaces in Hong Kong
UOB Hong Kong completed the refurbishment of its office premises at Central and Causeway Bay in 2021. Designed to foster team collaboration, engagement and creativity, the new features and facilities include:
Shared workstations : To encourage team cohesiveness and to maximise use of office space;
Collaboration area : Seating settings of various sizes where colleagues can work and interact with one another;
Workplace amenities : New amenities such as work bistro with a vending machine for drinks and snacks, as well as a table-tennis corner to help colleagues recharge; and
Artwork installations : Spark colleagues’ creativity through numerous displays of winning artworks from the annual UOB Art in Ink Awards organised by UOB Hong Kong. There is also an art installation comprising 600 hand-crafted paper doves in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Save the Children, a global charity organisation, at the Causeway Bay office.
“A purpose-built workplace plays an important role in creating a high-performance work culture. With the new features and amenities, we have prepared our colleagues for the new work patterns under the hybrid work model to enhance work efficiency, productivity, collaboration and agility.”
Mrs Christine Ip
Chief Executive Officer, Greater China, UOB
Our new employee clubhouse in Singapore
As we continue our efforts to refresh many of our current office premises in Singapore, we have also transformed a space close to our UOB Plaza headquarters into an exclusive space where colleagues can gather to collaborate, to recharge and to connect with one another.
A range of sitting areas where colleagues can catch up with one another or work remotely;
Games area for colleagues to unwind over a round or two of table tennis or foosball;
Events space to hold employee activities such as townhalls and trainings; and
Dedicated zone to hold wellness activities such as yoga, complete with lockers and shower facilities.
28BQ will be open to colleagues at an appropriate time when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted and when the Singapore government advises that financial institutions can resume full operations.
“Today’s launch of 28BQ is further testament to UOB’s commitment to employee well-being. By providing employees with a recreational space to take part in activities, such as table tennis and yoga, it gives employees a chance to get moving, and clear their minds of stress. On top of that, such activities help to foster better teamwork and create a more cohesive work environment. We hope more employers to do likewise.”
Dr Tan See Leng
Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade and Industry
