Patients on dialysis secure jobs through inclusive job fair

SINGAPORE - Being tethered to a dialysis machine three times a week keeps kidney patients Chew Teck Seng and Malathy Naga Rathnam alive. But it has also made it nearly impossible for them to find employment.

Lamenting the challenges that patients face, 53-year-old Mr Chew, who used to work as a technical specialist, said: “Kidney failure and the frequent dialysis have set limits on me physically, but I am still mentally capable to take on work.”

Echoing his sentiments, 40-year-old Ms Malathy, a former healthcare worker, said: “Only my kidneys are not working. Other than that, I am fine.”

A job fair on Oct 29, 2025, that was focused on inclusive hiring helped them surmount these challenges and become gainfully employed, alongside at least 12 other patients on dialysis.

The job fair was co-organised by the National Kidney Foundation (NKF), and local social enterprise The Social Equity (TSE), which promotes social inclusion.

TSE organises physical job fairs and runs the goodJobs online platform, which currently boasts more than 50,000 active hiring positions.

Statistics from NKF showed that of the over 5,400 NKF patients undergoing haemodialysis, 37 per cent are retired, 21 per cent are employed, and the remaining 42 per cent, or 2,285 patients, are currently unemployed.

Almost half of those unemployed, some 1,090 people, do actually seek employment, but face challenges in securing opportunities.

To boost their chances of being employed, TSE roped in 18 employers for the All Inclusive NKF Community Job Fair, through which both Mr Chew and Ms Malathy found new work.

For Mr Chew, who is married with two children, it marked his return to the workforce after a self-imposed hiatus of three months. He was retrenched in August 2025 from his first job of 28 years.

In 2015, he had his right kidney removed due to a malignant tumour, and his left kidney the following year for the same reason. Since then, he has been on dialysis.

Although his previous employer helped him to change job roles within the company, from a manual machine repair role to quality testing, he was eventually let go when his treatment took a toll on his work performance.

He tired easily and could not perform on a par with colleagues, as he had to leave work early for dialysis or medical appointments.

At the NKF-TSE job fair, he applied for almost every job opening, from the food and beverage (F&B) to security to hospitality sectors. Eventually, he took up a job as a cleaner with coffee-and-toast chain Ya Kun Kaya Toast.

Since beginning work in November 2025, he has been grateful for the various flexi-arrangements offered to him, including work hours shortened from six to four hours after he realised he lacked the stamina to be constantly on his feet and moving.

His manager also arranged for him to take 15-minute breaks after two hours of work.

Mr Vincent Kuan, Ya Kun’s senior area manager, said the company will adjust rosters and offer shorter work hours to accommodate schedules of employees who require flexi-work arrangements, including those on dialysis.

“This approach enables us to tap a broader talent pool and foster an inclusive workplace culture”, said Mr Kuan.

At the same fair, Ms Malathy, who was diagnosed with diabetes at nine years old and requires daily insulin, found work as a team lead for home-grown bakery and cafe chain Cedele.

After graduating from the Institute of Technical Education in 2005, Ms Malathy worked as a healthcare assistant in a public hospital until she resigned sometime in 2021.

At that time, her doctor told her she had early signs of declining kidney function, but she felt that she was still young and did not take the medication he prescribed to slow down the disease.

By 2022, her kidneys had failed, but she continued to be in denial until she became so breathless she could barely walk, and she was unable to urinate despite drinking water.

She was also waking up every hour through the night. That was when she finally heeded her husband’s advice and started on dialysis.

Ms Malathy wanted to return to healthcare, but discovered employers would not contact her after she disclosed she was on dialysis, and had restrictions such as being unable to carry heavy weights.

She was glad that employers at the NKF-TSE job fair knew about the challenges that patients like her face and were able to accommodate her needs.

Cedele’s general manager, Mr Poy Rong Chang, told The Straits Times that as long as the F&B industry is flexible, it should be able to get the manpower it needs.

Ten months after he took on the role in September 2024, the company had increased its part-time casual labour force by 54 per cent with inclusive hiring.

“We recognise that the workforce today is more diverse in terms of life stages and responsibilities, and not everyone can fit into a traditional fixed schedule. At the same time, there is a strong pool of capable individuals who are eager to contribute meaningfully”, said Mr Poy.

Other dialysis service providers do not offer similar employment initiatives

In response to queries from ST, other dialysis providers such as non-profit organisation Kidney Dialysis Foundation, the Ang Mo Kio – Thye Hua Kwan Hospital, and Tzu Chi Renal Dialysis Centre said that they do not offer similar employment initiatives for their patients.

NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) told ST that although it does not run programmes dedicated exclusively to patients on dialysis, “e2i supports all jobseekers, including those who may face additional challenges because of their health needs”.

e2i’s career coaches take time to understand each individual’s circumstances and explore suitable employment options, including flexible or shift-based roles.

“In this tight labour market, it is important for employers and human resource recruiters to be forward-thinking and open-minded... Chronically ill patients and their caregivers are able to work and seek out meaningful employment”, said TSE and goodJobs co-founder and director Jenny Wee.

NKF chief executive officer Yen Tan said: “While dialysis keeps our patients alive, NKF believes that true care goes beyond sustaining life – we aim to enrich it... When our patients achieve gainful employment, they regain stability, restore dignity and rebuild hope.”

NKF and TSE will be holding more job fairs, which may be open to non-NKF patients.