[Photo: Singapore Marriott Hotel's general manager Greg Allan (right) with hotel employees - or "associates'' - (from left) housekeeper Lily Lim Gaik Sim, human resource director Lynn Chia and front desk staff Ezlan Hassan.]

By Ananya Roy

THE tourism sector has taken a severe belting from the downturn with worse likely to come, but one leading player has managed to hold the line on the job front and avoid any layoffs.

The five-star Singapore Marriott Hotel saw occupancy levels plunge 15 per cent in the first three months of the year, with revenue down by about the same as well.

Its fall in turnover is in line with a general industry trend, with visitor arrivals in February down by around 15 per cent over the same month last year.

Numbers like that normally add up to job losses and other cutbacks but the Marriott has not laid off any of its 437 employees - or associates as the hotel calls them - or reduced their pay.

PRE-PLANNING

It is not sheer luck, but planning and prudent measures put in place at the start of the year which are helping to prop up the hotel, says director of human resources Lynn Chia.

'We placed critical emphasis on work process changes to increase productivity and efficiency. So we need not hire to replace when someone resigns and the workload remains manageable.

'Even before the crisis, we prepared ourselves to work with a smaller workforce in anticipation of labour competitiveness in the service sector then.'

The hotel also employed advances in technology. For instance, last year it installed a new and more efficient automated payroll system to free up manpower.

This substantially reduced costs and increased productivity, says Ms Chia, who now works with an HR team of four instead of the previous six.

Cushions like these allowed the hotel to introduce initiatives at the start of the year to save costs and avoid retrenchments.

One was cross-training, which involves the front of house team like receptionists learning to work in other departments.

Mr Ezlan Hassan, 27, for example, works at the front desk but can now help out in the loss prevention division and is also being trained in restaurant skills.

'The benefit to him is that now he is more skilled, it makes him more valuable,' says general manager Greg Allan.

'So on his curriculum vitae in future he can say he's done a variety of things. It is of great benefit to us also because we can move him from one department to another.

'The interesting thing about our business is that a certain section may be very busy at a particular time, such as the restaurants, and so if our associates are multi-skilled they can work in an area where the need is greatest.'

JOB-SHARING

Job-sharing is another initiative. About six people share a full-time job via a part-time arrangement.

Instead of a regular 44-hour week, an employee puts in 22 hours, working three full days a week or spreading the hours over five to six days a week. Although this arrangement results in these associates taking home half the pay, they are still paid the same hourly rate as before and are called in when required.

Part-timer Lily Lim Gaik Sim, who works in housekeeping, likes the arrangement.

As she gets financial support from her two children, Ms Lim, 60, says she has not been affected substantially by the scheme. She still gets paid $7 an hour, just like when she was a full-time staff.

Part-timers also get full benefits, such as medical and pro-rated annual leave.

'It's a win-win situation for part-timers,' says Mr Allan, 45. 'They are able to balance their family commitments and be key contributors to our business.

'They remain very much connected with the social network at work, which is very important.'

A key point about the initiatives is that they are voluntary.

'We ask our associates if they wish to consider this alternative work arrangement. If they are comfortable doing so after considering their financial and other responsibilities, we work around their needs,' says Mr Allan.

UNPAID LEAVE

Employees also take variable unpaid leave. Again, this is voluntary.

The hotel has been helped in its job-saving efforts by $200,000 given under the Government's Jobs Credit scheme's first payout this month.

Under the scheme, employers are paid back a part of the employee's salary to encourage companies to retain jobs.

MORE MEASURES TO SAVE COSTS

Cost-saving is not just concentrated on staff. Energy conservation is also being tackled but that can work only via team effort and communication.

'Making information, such as the dip in occupancy levels, available to our associates helps them to engage in the business,' says Mr Allan.

'It results in positive behavioural changes, which may be as simple as turning a tap off correctly to save water.'

Indeed communication and employee engagement are at the heart of the firm's ability to weather the downturn.

Mr Ezlan, who has worked full-time at the Marriott for three years, says: 'It was actually communicated to us step-by-step what was going to happen, what was expected, so from there I could adjust my mindset, such as I may be required to clear certain leave and so on.'

A typical day starts with a 15-minute communication session, with Mr Allan and all the staff covering the issues relating to the day's operations and priorities.

TRAINING

The hotel, which is actively involved in employee training, has also stepped this up amid the economic crisis.

'This downturn can be an opportunity to intensify our training activities to prepare our people for the economic recovery,' says Ms Chia.

The Marriott was recently approved by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency as a training organisation.

It will soon start training staff under the Government's Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience, or Spur, which helps defray the costs.

KEEPING MORALE UP

There are also attempts to lift spirits, with additional awards handed out to good performers.

'During this critical time, some companies might cut costs by cutting down on rewards and recognition; we have actually increased them,' says Mr Allan.

The Marriott opened Club B2 for its staff two years ago. Its facilities include a cafe, a recreation lounge with a 50-inch television, changing and rest areas and a rejuvenation room with massage chairs.

Mr Allan justifies the expenditure, citing the philosophy of the hotel chain's founder J.W. Marriott Sr: 'If you take good care of your associates, they will take good care of your customers and your customers will keep coming back.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times.