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Opinion: Micro-Jobs For Seniors Provide Engagement, Not Employment – And That’s Okay

  • Lifestyle
  • 12 months ago
  • SilverStreak Editorial Team

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Opinion: Micro-Jobs For Seniors Provide Engagement, Not Employment – And That’s Okay
Retiree Fatimah Kalip delivers food every weekday, twice a day. Unlike other food delivery workers dressed in green, pink or teal though, she wears whatever she likes, and she takes her time – after all, she only delivers up to 10 packets of food a day, and only to needy seniors living within walking distance of her flat in Bedok.
Twice daily for lunch and dinner, the 68-year-old heads to a nearby active ageing centre where catered food packs are waiting. She begins her rounds, knocking on doors so she can hand off the packets of food to recipients physically.
With time to spare – she only needs to deliver the food within a couple of hours, so they remain fresh – she makes an effort to chat with her fellow seniors, ask about their day, and remind them to take their medication.
"I’ve gotten to know all the seniors (I deliver food to), so to me, it’s like visiting my friends. Many of them are living alone, so I’ll try to stay for at least five minutes, just to sembang (chat in Malay) – anyway, I am also in no hurry lah,"
says the silver with a laugh.
She is one of many seniors now working micro-jobs at Thye Hua Kwan Moral Charities’ (THKMC) active ageing centres, where participating seniors complete simple tasks in service of fellow silvers while receiving a nominal fee for their trouble. Seniors like Fatimah receive $1 per task, whether that be delivering a meal or reminding them to take their medication.
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The micro-job scheme was developed by non-profit Centre for Seniors (CFS) in collaboration with the Agency of Integrated Care (AIC), along with other elder-focused organisations managing active ageing centres like Lions Befrienders and THKMC. Monetary support is provided by the Tote Board Community Health Fund.
It is one of the latest in a series of initiatives aimed at engaging Singapore’s ageing population with a growing network of active ageing centres, set to almost double in number from 119 to 220 by 2025.
Micro-jobs attractive due to flexibility and ease of tasks
Opinion: Micro-Jobs For Seniors Provide Engagement, Not Employment – And That’s Okay - Seniors
Joseph Chong, Fatimah Kalip and Shue Teng Lee (left to right) are some of the seniors in Singapore’s growing network of micro-jobbers.
According to Dylan Chew, Executive, Human Resource at THKMC, the organisation counted nearly 22,000 tasks completed in the first seven months since the scheme was piloted in January – an average of 3100 tasks per month.
The number grew to almost 10,000 per month after the scheme was launched proper in August and rolled out to 11 of their 18 active ageing centres around the island.
"This shows a tremendous increase of 222% in tasks per month since the official launch of the micro-jobs scheme in August 2023, showing a great interest in our senior residents who are healthy and keen in assisting with the tasks,"
he says.
THKMC now has a force of more than 100 seniors completing micro-jobs. Meanwhile, Lions Befrienders, who started recruiting after the launch in August, boasts a smaller crew of about 10 micro-jobbers spread across four active ageing centres.
Ease of tasks given, flexibility in schedule and a manageable workload were all reasons why seniors interviewed by SilverStreak have embraced the micro-job scheme.
Shue Teng Lee, 72, is one of the pioneer “micro-jobbers”, having participated in the scheme at THKMC’s active ageing centre in MacPherson since it was first piloted.
Like Fatimah, he delivers meals and reminds seniors to take their medicine – both tasks that he says are more suited for a “retired person” compared to his previous job as a counsellor.
"Once people have reached my age, they don’t want a job that’s so mentally draining. For those that don’t need the money, we just want an excuse to get out of our flat and move around. What I think most seniors would prefer is a simple job, not something too stressful or tiring for the mind,"
he says.
Lim Eng Kiew, a 71-year-old micro-jobber at Lions Befriender’s active ageing centre under Block 499C in Tampines, concurs, saying that delivering her allotment of “three to four packets of food” at once is “very easy” even for “someone with pain in their backs and legs” like her.
"It only takes a few minutes, and it’s no trouble at all – I just put it on my trolley and go,"
she says.
This light workload is not uncommon, as demand for meal deliveries fluctuates depending on location. Joseph Chong, a fellow micro-jobber at a nearby Lions Befrienders active ageing centre in Block 494E, Tampines, delivers just two packets of food a day, to one resident.
This makes taking leave from micro-jobs due to medical appointments or holidays easy, as their tasks will simply be split among other micro-jobbers.
"I took 22 days of leave just recently. You cover for me, I cover for you – it’s not a problem, as it is only one or two more packets per person at most,"
says Teng Lee, who cycles to complete his deliveries.
Fulfilment and social engagement are other rewards
Opinion: Micro-Jobs For Seniors Provide Engagement, Not Employment – And That’s Okay - Lim Eng Kiew
Lim Eng Kiew, a senior micro-jobber, stops for a chat mid-delivery.
Social interactions with other seniors and the satisfaction derived from completing micro-jobs were some of the other perks cited by silver micro-jobbers.
"If I don’t leave the house every day, I will just stay at home and sleep. It’s very boring, being stuck at home alone with just four walls to look at. At least this gives me a reason to walk around and exercise a little,"
says Eng Kiew.
"It keeps our mind and body active, you see, just leaving the house and going downstairs to the active ageing centre, chit-chatting with the staff, then making deliveries. The money is just a bonus."
Teng Lee, the retired counsellor, agrees, stating,
Apart from nudging seniors to exercise and interact with others, the organisations hope that the scheme will also enhance seniors’ sense of meaning when they reclaim their time.
"The concept of the micro-jobs scheme is to provide active seniors a purpose and opportunity to contribute back to the community. All of our micro-jobbers are in good health and have a strong passion to assist their fellow senior neighbours. There are already many hidden neighbourhood heroes existing who assist their fellow neighbours in different tasks, and micro-jobs scheme helps to bring light to these friendly neighbourhood heroes,"
says Dylan of THKMC.
"Seniors also experience a sense of purpose and fulfilment when they participate in the scheme, deriving satisfaction when they feel they are doing something meaningful for others,"
adds a spokesperson for Lions Befrienders.
"Micro-jobs are a good way to keep seniors meaningfully occupied. It’s a way for them to earn pocket money, which is always good, while still feeling useful to society."
Dr Helen Ko, associate professor for the Singapore University of Social Sciences’ Master & PhD in Gerontology Programmes, says,
Personal development in the cards
Over the course of the year, THKMC has expanded the scope of its micro-jobs to include ad-hoc tasks at selected active ageing centres, paid at $2 per hour.
"We aim to have this flexibility among our centres where current and future micro-jobbers can freely indicate their interests and skills, and enable our centres aim to create a safe space for micro-jobbers in all centres in the near future."
Dylan of THKMC says,
Novel micro-jobs include the facilitation of bingo games and karaoke sessions, as well as cooking for the community.
"I don’t have any experience in public speaking, but to me, it was so easy to run – because everyone there is my friend. I am so happy when I shout out the number, and I get to see how happy everyone is feeling."
Fatimah, who has participated in both, says on running a bingo session,
THKMC plans to offer more micro-jobs moving forward, beginning from January next year with a medical escort service. Other tasks in the pipeline include “light housekeeping for senior or disabled residents and simple vital signs monitoring”.
To facilitate these tasks, training will be provided by in-house THKMC nurses and nursing aides. THKMC is also making plans with CFS to create a one-day workshop for medical escorts.
Meanwhile, Lions Befrienders is looking to expand the micro-job scheme to other active ageing centres with a greater variety of “suitable jobs”, in line with seniors’ interests and capabilities.
"Many of these seniors come from professional or para-professional vocations with a wealth of experience. Tapping on this can be useful on a per-project basis, especially as this population grows moving forward."
Dr Ko says,
Let micro-jobs stay micro
Senior micro-jobbers interviewed were all satisfied with the nominal remuneration, recognising that the scheme wasn’t never meant to replace employment.
"I’m lucky enough to have two very filial adult children giving me an allowance that covers my basic needs. This is just extra, and a reason to get me out of the house."
Teng Lee, who nets up to “$400 a month” from his micro-jobs with THKMC, says,
Like active ageing centres, micro-jobs provide one avenue for seniors to remained engaged, empowered and part of the community should they choose to.
It also eases the dire manpower crunch facing many non-profit organisations, as simple tasks can be off-loaded to micro-jobbers (instead of robots) freeing up time for staff to focus on topline concerns.
“The money is secondary. It’s enough for just a cup of kopi. I don’t take it into consideration – it’s more like a contribution to society, and a way to force myself to go outside and walk."
For Joseph, a micro-jobber with Lions Befrienders, it’s good enough that he delivers a couple of packets a day:

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