After two full years in National Service (NS) spent training to defend Singapore's shores, the transition back into civilian life can be a difficult one to make for some NSmen.

But trading the pixelated green of the "number four" Army uniform for the solid green of the Starbucks apron has never been easier.

NSman employees, who rejoin Starbucks Singapore after completing NS, will find the transition smoother than most, thanks to the company's Leave of Absence and Tenure Continuity Scheme.

Launched in 2017, the scheme is an initiative of Starbucks Singapore that allows employees - or partners, as they are referred to in the organisation - who rejoin the company within a month of him reaching the Operationally Ready Date (ORD) to have their pre-NS tenure recognised.

For example, if a partner is employed in Starbucks Singapore for two years, leaves to fulfil his NS obligations, and then rejoins within a month of ORD, those two years will be counted towards his years of service in the company.

This makes it easier for NSmen to attain long service awards and enjoy other benefits that come with longer employment duration, such as increased annual leave allotment.

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"In Starbucks, we like to say that we are not in the coffee business serving people, but in the people business serving coffee," says Mr Patrick Kwok, general manager of Starbucks Singapore. "Our employees, who we call partners, are at the heart of the Starbucks Experience. We believe in creating a culture of warmth and belonging where everyone is welcome."

After observing that most partners, who joined as students, had to leave to fulfil their NS duties, Starbucks Singapore wanted to make it easy for these partners to resume their careers in the company upon completion of their full-time NS.

Both partners and Starbucks Singapore benefit from this arrangement, explains Mr Kwok. "National Service teaches our partners new knowledge and skills that they can apply at Starbucks, such as leadership and people management. They readily adapt the lessons gained in NS and want to explore new opportunities to grow their career with us."

Partners who return to Starbucks after completing their NS can readjust quickly to the work culture, environment and routines as compared to fresh new hires.

Over 40 NSmen have since benefited from the scheme.

NSmen have always been at the forefront of Starbucks Singapore's partner welfare initiatives. NSman partners' In-Camp Training schedules are taken into account when rostering shifts, so as to ensure that they get adequate rest before and after training.

This company-wide positive attitude towards NS has resulted in the company receiving the NS Mark (Gold) accreditation and Total Defence Awards this year.

NS Mark is a national-level accreditation scheme by the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) that recognises businesses and organisations with policies and human resource practices that support and advocate NS and Total Defence.

Businesses looking to qualify for the NS Mark scheme can submit a summary of their policies, practices and advocacy efforts showing their support for NS in the workplace to MINDEF.

If the measures meet the prevailing criteria, the company will be awarded either the NS Mark or NS Mark (Gold) Award, with the latter presented to companies who have gone above and beyond in supporting NS in the workplace.

Companies that hold the NS Mark (Gold) Award will receive an e-certificate and 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 both ministries as role models of companies with pro-NS policies and practices.

The Total Defence Awards, on the other hand, is the highest national accolade that recognises outstanding individuals and companies' support for national defence.

This prestigious award is given out during a dinner hosted by the Defence Minister and also attended by Senior Ministers of State.

This year, the Total Defence Awards was held on November 10, 2022, and Starbucks Coffee was one of the recipients.

"We are very honoured to be recognised for our efforts around supporting our NSman partners," says Mr Kwok. "This motivates us to continue exploring and implementing policies to better support our partners, staying relevant to their needs and lifestyles.

"We are also proud to be able to play our part to contribute to Singapore's Total Defence efforts."

To learn more about the Total Defence Awards and the NS Mark accreditation scheme as well as how your company can pledge support towards National Defence, please visit go.gov.sg/supportns.