Complimentary gym and club memberships. Healthy company-sponsored lunches. Extended leave allotment.

In any other company, these would be benefits usually available to company management or senior executives.

But to employees of Royal Kings Group Singapore, who are also Operationally Ready National Servicemen (NSmen), these are the perks of their jobs, regardless of their designation.

"National Service (NS) and the support of NS will always be integral to the company's culture and values," says Mr Sirajudeen Syed Mohamed, 44, director of Royal Kings Group Singapore, a company that provides management and information technology consultancy services to Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) companies.

It's no surprise then, that the company, with its special welfare benefits and show of support for its NSmen employees, has been awarded the NS Mark (Gold) accreditation.

The NS Mark accreditation is a national-level accreditation scheme that recognises businesses and organisations with policies and human resource practices that support and advocate National Service and Total Defence.

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Businesses can submit a summary to the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) of their policies, practices and advocacy efforts that show their support for NS in the workplace, and the accreditation will be awarded if the measures have been deemed sufficient after review.

There are two tiers - the NS Mark and NS Mark (Gold) accreditations - with the latter bestowed only upon companies who have gone above and beyond in supporting NS in the workplace.

Upon receiving the NS Mark (Gold) accreditation, NS Mark (Gold) companies will receive an e-certificate and also enjoy benefits such as receiving invitations to career fairs hosted by MINDEF and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), as well as being featured by MINDEF and MHA as role-models of companies with pro-NS policies and practices.

In addition, NS Mark (Gold) companies may also receive the Total Defence Award, which is the highest national accolade that acknowledges exemplary individuals and corporate entities for their outstanding support towards strengthening the defence of the nation. This prestigious award is given out during a gala dinner hosted by the Defence Minister and also attended by Senior Ministers of State.

According to Mr Sirajudeen, the company has supportive policies and had applied for NS Mark accreditation.

A former NSman who served in the Singapore Civil Defence Force, the takeaways from NS still resonate with him, even 22 years after the completion of his NS commitments.

In his personal experience, there is a tangible difference in quality between a potential hire who has gone through NS and one who has not.

When lives are in your hands on an everyday basis, the lessons you learn, such as critical thinking, problem-solving and leadership, are indelibly etched into you, he says.

"Many of these life skills can be used in the working world, if employers and superiors acknowledge them well."

Therefore, Royal Kings Group takes notice of NS Certificates of Services and superiors' testimonials during the hiring process, with potential applicants encouraged to share their NS experiences during face-to-face interviews.

Time spent in full-time National Service even counts towards the total length of employment in the company - so every new NSman hired at Royal Kings Group starts off with at least two years of service.

The way Mr Sirajudeen sees it, NSmen fulfilling their NS obligations is simply an extension of them doing their part for the company.

"Singapore is such a vibrant and successful financial hub only because it is safe," he says. "It's a business-friendly environment that people feel their investments are safe in.

"NSmen have played such a big part in the safety and security of our nation," he continues. "They have served and are continually serving.

"So it is only right that we should recognise their contributions in the highest possible way, and encourage them to honour their NS commitments."

This mindset was imparted to Mr Sirajudeen by a former employer, whose positive and supportive attitude towards his own NSman employees, Mr Sirajudeen among them, inspired him to do likewise once he started his own business.

This is why no expense is spared on the welfare of his Operationally Ready employees. Each of them receives a yearly SAFRA, Home Team or Civil Service Club membership for free, allowing their families to spend time with each other and unwind on company dime.

NSmen can also get up to $500 in NTUC vouchers if they perform well in their Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT).

For Royal Kings Group Singapore's 10th anniversary celebrations last July, each NSman even received $100 in NTUC vouchers.

To encourage each of them not to defer their In-Camp Training (ICT), Mr Sirajudeen ensures that the process of attending In-Camp Training or ICT is as seamless as possible.

Royal Kings' human resources department fills out the Make-Up Pay scheme on behalf of each of its employees going for their ICT, and grants employees departing for or returning from ICT extra days off to spend time with their families.

And this NS-positive approach has a positive knock-on effect. Twenty per cent of Royal Kings Group's 50-plus employees are NSmen, and not one has deferred his ICT commitments in the past three years.

Mr Sirajudeen's strategy isn't just good for his employees, it's good for his business as well. Thanks to these measures, Royal Kings Group Singapore enjoys low turnover rates and better relationships with fellow NS Mark accredited businesses.

Buyers are also more willing to patronise businesses that are supportive of their NSmen employees, he says.

But Mr Sirajudeen is quick to stress that while it is an honour to have, the NS Mark (Gold) accreditation is simply the cherry on the cake for the company.

Policies in support of NS should be implemented as a matter of principle anyway, says Mr Sirajudeen.

"Every company should practise these as a form of corporate social responsibility to our nation."

Seeking to apply for the NS Mark accreditation scheme? Find out more here.