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3 Meaningful SG50 Gifts Companies In Singapore Could Give Employees
June 17 2015 is a pretty nice day for civil servants in Singapore. The Public Service Division announced that, on that day, all 82,000 civil servants in Singapore will receive a $500 bonus as part of the SG50 celebrations.
I'm sure that gesture will help make the public service attractive to Singaporeans, which is a good thing. But as the saying goes, you can please all of the people none of the time. Sure enough, some Singaporeans who don't work in the public sector feel a bit left out, and have voiced bitter opinions to that effect.
For those of us who don't have such a privilege of getting the $500 bonus, there could be other SG50 gifts that we might gain more joy in receiving other than cash.
We at GET.com have come up with 3 meaningful SG50 gift ideas that companies in Singapore could reward their employees in celebration of the nation's Golden Jubilee.
1. 50 Hours of Time Off to Do Volunteer Work
Doing volunteer work can be quite a rewarding experience. By helping others, you make a positive impact on their life. In return, you can put your skills to good use or learn new skills, such as leadership and organisational skills.
If you haven't done any volunteer work before, it will probably be a new and interesting experience for you. And you might just be rewarded with more than just a new experience.
One of the best gifts you'll receive by giving your time to others is the gratitude of those you help. That will make you happy too! And it's something you can't buy with money.
The best experience that I got was when I did my volunteer work at Ang Mo Kio THK EIPIC Centre, where I helped paint a mural together with a group of underprivileged children. I could feel the palpable happiness from the children, whose faces instantly lit up at the sight of the colourful painting on their classroom walls.
SG50 is a joyous occasion for all Singaporeans. So why not celebrate it by making a fellow Singaporean happy?
2. 5 Hours of Time Off to Spend Time with Family
According to the Happiness Poll conducted by NTUC U Family in 2013, only 57% of people spend sufficient time with their family.
Almost half of Singaporeans feel they don't get to spend enough time with those they care about the most, which is a worrying trend.
If your company lets you take an extra 5 hours off to spend quality time with your family during the week of the National Holiday, you will still have 4 days to do the things you have already planned!
With 5 hours time off, you can do some meaningful things with your family that you didn't get time to do. For example, you can get off work early every day in the week to have dinner with them. You could pick up your child by yourself instead of having your helper to do it.
3. A $50 Shopping Voucher
Since 7 August 2015 was declared a holiday in March this year, bookings for flights leaving Singapore on that day had surged 738% in only 2 days!
Is that true Singaporean kiasu spirit? Or are some people just too eager to spread SG50 joy overseas?
We can't really blame those people who have decided to travel overseas during the National Day. After all, we hardly get an opportunity to enjoy a 4-day break except for the Chinese New Year holiday, and we work the longest hours in the world!
To persuade people to remain in Singapore during National Day, it's gonna take more than the appeal made by our Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob.
By handing out a $50 shopping voucher to each of your employees in August, it would probably give some of them a good reason to stay. We can all go out right here in Singapore, and we can all have some fun in the celebrations.
That will contribute to the vibe of a National Day like a whole country of people who are actually having a good time!
This article was originally on the GET.com blog at: 3 Meaningful SG50 Gifts Companies In Singapore Could Give Employees.
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