Employers show they have a heart

A CURSORY check by Business Times revealed that some companies are going the extra mile to help employees cope with rising costs.

The measures range from cutting loan interest, using more technology and the plain old "do more and get more" incentives.

Public Bank Bhd probably leads the pack in staff loans. It has slashed rates on staff loans of RM100,000 and below to zero per cent from three per cent before.

For those with housing loans of RM250,000 and below, rates have been cut to one per cent from three per cent. This reduces monthly repayments by up to 40 per cent, it calculates.

The bank also almost halved interest on car loans to 2.5 per cent while slashing interest on motorcycle loans of RM5,000 and below to zero per cent.

Jenny Cheng Siew Ngoh, Public Bank's human resource general manager told Business Times that the lender's founder, Tan Sri Dr Teh Hong Piow, pushed for the measures for "immediate financial relief". The board endorsed these measures.

Mobile phone operator DiGi.Com Bhd has raised mileage claims and it is educating employees how to save costs.

It has installed personal teleconferencing systems on notebooks, helping staff to conduct meetings with clients from anywhere.

"We felt that more had to be done and not just about handing out more money. It required a change in the thinking of our employees and the need to be conscious in use of energy and resources," corporate affairs head Tunku Alizakri Alias said.

The firm launched a Climate Change programme which encouraged employees to re-look at their lifestyle and find ways to save energy, money and also the environment.

"We even encourage car pooling in DiGi and they are given access to a reserved covered carpark at D'House (DiGi headquarters) in Shah Alam," he said.

For Westports Malaysia Sdn Bhd, chairman Tan Sri G. Gnanalingam said two days after the fuel hike announcement, all of its staff have started to enjoy salary increments and a better incentive scheme.

"Based on their performance, they (employees) have the chance to bring home an extra of more than RM150 every month," he said.

He said the port believes in spurring its 3,000-odd workforce to deliver and to maintain standards that exceed the norm.