Employee Happiness Awards Singapore and Malaysia 2026: A Landmark Inaugural Edition Celebrating People-First Workplaces

The Employee Happiness Awards Singapore and Malaysia 2026 marked a powerful debut as the platform’s inaugural edition in Singapore and Malaysia. Held on 10 April 2026 at the Shangri-La Singapore, the gala award ceremony brought together over 200 distinguished guests and award winners for an evening that was as celebratory as it was inspiring.

 The Employee Happiness Awards is a global platform that celebrates organisations committed to building positive, people-first workplaces. Established in 2023 in the UAE, the awards were created to recognise companies that go beyond policies and metrics to create cultures where employees genuinely thrive.

 

This is the first year that the awards was offered in Singapore and Malaysia.  Despite being its inaugural edition in Singapore and Malaysia, the awards witnessed an overwhelming response, with participation from over 80 organisations across more than 25 categories. This strong engagement reflects the growing importance placed on employee experience and organisational culture across the region.  Attracting entries from established organisations such as Nanyang Technological University, Keller Foundations (SEA) Pte Ltd, Singapore Land Group and Thermo Fisher Scientific, the awards also saw entries from newer, technology-driven companies such as e27. Razer Inc and 99 Group.

 The Gold Award for HR Leader of the Year was presented to Koljit Singh A/L Koldip Singh, Vice President, Culture Transformaon & Projects FGV Holdings Bhd, while the Silver and Bronze awards were presented to Tina Mahtani-Hanspal, Group Vice-President, People, of 99 Group and Reena Talla, Employee Experience Service Lead, APMEA and Europe of Kerry Group respectively.  There was also a HR Team of the Year award which were presented to IDP Education (Gold winner) and Razer Inc (Silver Winner). 

Other award categories included Best “Women-in-Leadership” Programme (won by Pepper Labs Sdn Bhd (Gold winner) and OR HRS Sdn Bhd (Silver winner) and Most Supportive “Return to Work” Programme won solely by Acorn Consulting Asia (Gold winner).  Unsurprisingly, the award for Best Use of Technology to Engage Employees were won by e27 and ContextQ, both tech-focused companies.

 The overall Best Companies to Work For were daythree Digital Bhd (Gold winner), dnata Singapore Pte Ltd (Silver winner) for the large company category, Remerge (Gold winner), Ambition Group Malaysia and Singapore (Silver winner) and Sacoor Brothers Singapore (Bronze winner) for the medium company category and AmanaRaya Investment Management (Gold winner). Macross Consultancy (M) Sdn Bhd (Silver winner) and Truescope (Singapore) Pte Ltd for the small company category.

 Conceptualised by Eventyst Global, a Dubai-based event management company which believes that employee happiness is not a perk, but a strategy, the Employee Happiness Awards was created as a platform to celebrate organisations that prioritise employee well-being, engagement, and inclusive workplace cultures.  What began as a single regional initiative, has grown into a multi-country movement, including the Middle East and Africa.  With the inclusion of Singapore and Malaysia in Southeast Asia, the awards have now established a presence across three regions, underscoring a unified global commitment to building better workplaces.

 Each edition follows a consistent, rigorous framework, combining nominations and expert jury evaluation, ensuring credibility, transparency, and global relevance while respecting local workplace contexts.  Submissions were assessed on programme design, consistency in execution, and measurable outcomes, ensuring that recognition was awarded to initiatives that demonstrate real, lasting impact.

Winner of the Gold Award for the Best Inclusion Strategy for People of Disabilities category, dnata Catering and Retail Singapore’s Managing Director, Matthew Igo Ball, says, “This recognition highlights the consistent effort our team in Singapore has made to foster a positive and supportive workplace culture. In a fast-paced, high-performance environment like ours, employee well-being is fundamental to how we operate and deliver for our customers every day. It brings to life our global dnata values, and we will continue to invest in a workplace where our people feel valued, supported and empowered to do their best work.”

 

Silver award winner for the Best Small Company to Work For, Macross Consultancy’s founder, Teo Chee Keat, adds, “It is a profound honor to be recognised at the Employee Happiness Awards Singapore and Malaysia 2026. As Macross Consultancy evolves, this award validates our commitment to balancing professional excellence with a people-first culture. It serves as a powerful motivation for us to continue nurturing a workplace where every team member can thrive.”

 Nippon Sanso Holdings Singapore’s Senior Vice-President of Human Resources, Pauline Loo says, “"This recognition at the Employee Happiness Awards Singapore and Malaysia 2026 is a celebration of our people and our belief that when employees thrive, the organisation flourishes. It reflects our ongoing commitment to develop people, enable growth, and partner the business to create sustainable value through skills and workforce development."   Nippon Sanso is the Silver winner for the Best Employee-driven Business Change category and Bronze winner for the Best Learning and Development Strategy category.

 

The award ceremony stands as a testament to what organisations can achieve when people are placed at the centre of business strategy. It was not just a night of recognition, but a celebration of intent translated into action, of cultures built with care, and of workplaces designed for people to truly thrive. 

 

List of award winners:

Best Company to Work For – Large category

·         daythree Digital Bhd (Gold winner)

·         dnata Singapore Pte Ltd (Silver winner)

 

Best Company to Work For – Medium category

·         Remerge (Gold winner)

·         Ambition Group Malaysia and Singapore (Silver winner)

·         Sacoor Brothers Singapore (Bronze winner)

 

Best Company to Work For – Small category

·         AmanahRaya Investment Management Sdn Bhd (Gold winner)

·         Macross Consultancy (M) Sdn Bhd (Silver winner)

·         Truescope (Singapore) Pte Ltd (Bronze winner)

 

Best Leadership Succession Strategy category

·         BREGO Life Sciences (Gold winner)

·         Teleport (Silver winner)

 

Best Workspace Design category

·         Singapore Land Group Ltd (Gold winner)

·         AET & MISC Marine (Silver winner)

·         Office Planner Pte Ltd (Bronze winner)

 

Best Recruitment Strategy category

·         InterContinental Kuala Lumpur (Gold winner)

·         McDermott and Jardine Engineering Singapore Ptd Ltd (Silver winners)

 

Best Employee Induction Programme category

·         Rentokil Initial (M) Sdn Bhd (Gold winner)

·         Radisson Hotel Group (Silver winner)

·         daythree Digital Bhd (Bronze winner)

 

Best Learning and Development Strategy category

·         Radisson Hotel Group (Gold winner)

·         Jardine Engineering Singapore (Silver winner)

·         Nippon Sanso Holdings Singapore Pte Ltd (Bronze winner)

 

Best Employee Reward and Recognition Strategy category

·         Philip Morris Singapore (Gold winner)

·         Binnies + Aecom Joint Venture (Silver winner)

·         Clarins Sdn Bhd (Bronze winner)

 

Best Retention Initiative category

·         Juristech (Gold winner)

 

Best Employee Wellness Initiative category

·         Nanyang Technological University (Gold winner)

·         Keller Foundations (S E Asia) Pte Ltd (Silver winner)

·         Mintel (Bronze winner)

 

Best Employee-driven Business Change category

·         The Hoffman Agency (Gold winner)

·         Nippon Sanso Holdings Singapore Pte Ltd (Silver winner)

 

Best Flexible Working Programme category

·         Snappymob Sdn Bhd(Gold winner)

·         Lloyd’s List Intelligence (Silver winner)

·         Eversendai Engineering Pte Ltd (Bronze winner)

 

Most Supportive “Return to Work” Programme category

·         Acorn Consulting Asia (Gold winner)

 

Best “Women-in-Leadership” Programme category

·         Pepper Labs Sdn Bhd (Gold winner)

·         OS HRS Sdn Bhd (Silver winner)

 

Best Internship Programme category

·         Razer Inc (Gold winner)

·         PropertyGuru Group Pte Ltd (Silver winner)

·         Mewah Group (Bronze winner)

 

Best Community Impact Initiative category

·         UPS (Gold winner)

·         Design Bridge and Partners (Silver winner)

·         Kao Group (MYSG) (Bronze winner)

 

Best Diversity and Inclusion Programme category

·         Henkel Singapore (Gold winner)

·         Mindvalley Labs Sdn Bhd (Silver winner)

·         Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions (Bronze winner)

 

Best Inclusion Strategy for People of Disabilities category

·         dnata Singapore Pte Ltd (Gold winner)

·         McDermott (Silver winner)

 

Best Use of Technology to Engage Employees category

·         e27 (Gold winner)

·         ContexQ (Silver winner)

 

Best Use of Technology to Drive Learning Initiatives category

·         Rentokil Initial Singapore Pte Ltd (Gold winner)

·         Singapore Land Group Ltd (Silver winner)

 

Best Use of Social Media to Attract and Hire Talent category

·         Thermo Fisher Scientific (Gold winner)

·         Nandina REM (Silver winner)

 

HR Team of the Year

·         IDP Education (Gold winner)

·         Razer Inc (Silver winner)

·         Teleport (Bronze winner)

 

HR Team Leader of the Year

·         Koljit Singh A/L Koldip Singh, Vice President, Culture Transformation & Projects, FGV Holdings Bhd (Gold winner)

·         Tina Mahtani-Hanspal, Group Vice-President, People, 99 Group (Silver winner)

·         Reena Talla, Employee Experience Service Lead, APMEA and Europe, Kerry Group (Bronze winner)

 

The Rise to Success Award

·         Vishnu Naidu, Head, Talent Acquisition, daythree Digital Bhd (Gold winner)

·         Sreenivaasar A/L Krishnamoorthy, Head of Learning & Development, Engagement & Total Reward, daythree Digital Bhd (Silver winner)