Employment & labour — Topics

6 Oct 2020

Statistics on National Service Deferment for Essential In-camp Training for March to August 2020

Don Wee asked about the percentage change in National Service deferment for essential in-camp training from March to August 2020 compared to the previous three-year average, which category saw the largest increase, whether make-up pay could be provided to job seekers in the gig economy, and if companies could allow such workers to retain incentive levels during in-camp training.
Ng Eng Hen stated that most in-camp training call-ups were suspended from April to August 2020 due to COVID-19, except for critical security or national COVID-19 efforts.
He confirmed that NSmen in the gig economy are eligible for make-up pay like formal economy workers, with incentive quantums included if supporting documents are submitted.
The Ministry does not currently have plans to provide make-up pay specifically for job seekers who defer to work in the gig economy, but the existing policy covers all NSmen with relevant documentation.
The Ministry works with companies to support NSmen, but specific arrangements for maintaining incentive levels during training are assessed on a case-by-case basis.

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6 Oct 2020

Legislation to Support Requests for Work-from-Home Arrangements

Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Manpower to legislate a right for all employees to request flexible work arrangements and require employers who reject requests to provide a specific business-related reason.
The Ministry of Manpower recognizes the importance of flexible work arrangements and is enhancing efforts, such as growing a community of Work-Life Ambassadors and developing sector-specific guides, while noting that 85% of employers offered such arrangements pre-COVID, with increased usage during the pandemic.
MOM will monitor the effects of higher flexible work arrangement use, study how to entrench best practices after COVID-19, and consider experiences from other jurisdictions while working with tripartite partners to balance employee and employer interests.

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6 Oct 2020

Number of Persons in Different Age Groups Who Have Received Workfare Income Supplement Payouts

Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked for the annual number of Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) recipients from 2017 to 2019, broken down by age groups (35-40, 41-50, 51-60, and above 60), and whether the WIS amount could be reviewed to increase to one-third of monthly gross income.
From 2017 to 2019, about 400,000 employees and self-employed persons received WIS annually, with specific numbers provided for age groups: around 45,000 aged 35-44, 85,000 aged 45-54, 70,000 aged 55-59, and 195,000 aged 60 and above, plus 3,000 persons with disabilities below age 35.
The Minister stated that WIS has been regularly reviewed since 2007, with qualifying income ceilings and payouts raised four times, including a maximum payout increase of up to 14% from January this year, and reviews will continue to support target groups.

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6 Oct 2020

Help for Contractors Faced With Dormitory Constraints or Higher Temporary Living Quarter Costs

Miss Cheryl Chan asked the Minister for Manpower about support for contractors facing dormitory shortages and doubled costs for foreign worker housing.
The government moved workers to temporary sites, increased construction of temporary quarters, and reduced dormitory occupancy by 30% to lower COVID-19 risks.
New quick-built and contractor-built dormitories will add 60,000 beds to stabilize rental prices, which have remained stable overall despite some higher asking rents.

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6 Oct 2020

Facilitate Renewal of Foreign Manpower for Construction Sector Post-COVID-19

Miss Cheryl Chan proposed shortening the man-year entitlement period to two years or less to help construction firms renew foreign workers amid COVID-19 disruptions.
The Ministry of Manpower explained that firms must stay within their man-year entitlements but can hire experienced workers beyond allocations via MYE-waiver, requiring at least three years of construction experience.
Recognizing the pandemic’s impact, the ministry is open to considering case-by-case renewals for workers with less than three years of experience under the MYE-waiver.

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6 Oct 2020

Abuse of Jobs Support Scheme

The Deputy Prime Minister reported that the Jobs Support Scheme has supported wages for over two million local workers across 150,000 businesses, with most employers using it as intended.
A small number of employers have attempted to abuse the scheme, such as by making non-genuine CPF contributions, prompting IRAS to identify 2,200 employers for review and temporarily withhold payouts for some.
IRAS has completed reviews for about half of the flagged cases and referred four employers to the Police for investigation, with penalties under the Penal Code including up to 10 years’ imprisonment and fines for offenders.

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6 Oct 2020

Proposal for Extra Childcare Leave for Parents of Differently Abled Children

Louis Ng Kok Kwang proposed that the Government provide extra childcare leave for parents of differently abled children to attend medical and developmental appointments.
The Government, through Indranee Rajah, highlighted existing enhanced childcare leave provisions, flexible work arrangements, and tripartite standards to support working parents.
Additional support for parents of children with special needs includes subsidies for Special Student Care Centres, tax relief for grandparent caregivers, and training resources through EIPIC and SG Enable.
The Government emphasized balancing caregiving needs with employers’ operational requirements to protect parents’ employability while continuing to study further enhancements.

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6 Oct 2020

Increasing Support for the Sustenance of Livelihoods amongst Performing Arts Workers

MP Carrie Tan highlighted the arts sector's struggles, noting a 50% funding drop and proposing measures like extended JSS, broader Digitalisation Fund eligibility, wage guidelines, and capacity-building, using examples of low-income artists and international success stories like South Korea.
Minister Low Yen Ling clarified that arts funding actually increased, outlined existing support schemes including the $55 million Arts and Culture Resilience Package, and explained that JSS provides up to 50% wage support for the sector, contradicting Tan's claim of only 10%.
The government is implementing measures such as the Capability Development Scheme, Digital Presentation Grant for arts, and commissioning projects to support freelancers, while also working with institutions to help workers access relief and promote fair employment practices.
Both sides emphasized the arts' role in national cohesion and recovery, with Tan calling for greater investment akin to historical examples like the New Deal, and Low urging continued partnership to strengthen the sector post-COVID.

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6 Oct 2020

Profile of Employees Retrenched due to COVID-19 Pandemic

The Minister for Manpower highlighted that while retrenchments have increased during COVID-19, the incidence for seniors aged 60 and above is comparable to the overall local workforce, and the government is actively monitoring the situation and providing support through various job assistance and training programmes.
Ministers and Members raised concerns about ageism, the protection of Singaporeans in retrenchment policies, and the need for a legislated baseline retrenchment benefit, with the Minister explaining that the tripartite consensus opposes a mandated baseline to avoid straining businesses and reducing long-term contract offers.
The government emphasized its commitment to preserving a strong Singaporean core, offering enhanced hiring incentives, mid-career pathways, and targeted support for senior workers, while enforcing anti-discrimination laws and promoting fair retrenchment practices.

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6 Oct 2020

Attention to Employment Prospects for Persons with Special Needs amidst COVID-19 Pandemic

The Minister for Social and Family Development outlined measures to support persons with disabilities (PWDs) during the COVID-19 pandemic, including enhanced wage credits, virtual career fairs, and job placement services through SG Enable, while noting that specific retrenchment data for PWDs is not tracked.
MPs raised concerns about the lack of detailed statistics on PWD retrenchment and disguised retrenchments, urging the Ministry to consider more active data collection and to shape employer awareness of the value of inclusive hiring.
The Minister affirmed that case managers provide direct assistance to retrenched PWDs who seek help and committed to accelerating the work of an existing workgroup addressing underemployment and unemployment issues in the PWD community.

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6 Oct 2020

Proposal to Conduct Skills Test in Singapore for Foreign Workers for Construction Sector

Miss Cheryl Chan proposed that the Skills Evaluation Certificate (Knowledge) test for foreign construction workers be conducted in Singapore after their arrival rather than at overseas centers, and suggested exemptions for workers with prior trade experience in Singapore.
The Minister responded that the test is currently required overseas to ensure workers meet skill standards before incurring travel costs, and noted that returning workers do not need to retake the test for the same trade.
The debate focused on balancing the need for skilled foreign labor with the costs and logistics of pre-arrival testing, while considering exemptions for experienced workers.

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6 Oct 2020

Support for Workers Suffering from Workplace-related Mental Health Issues

The Tripartite Advisory on Mental Health is scheduled for publication in Q4 2021 and is undergoing consultation with employers, unions, and professionals, with a current interim advisory available for reference.
Melvin Yong raised concerns about blurred work-life boundaries due to telecommuting, suggesting the advisory include guidelines on the "right to disconnect" to help workers manage non-critical work communications outside hours.
The government acknowledged the challenges of remote work but noted that legislation on disconnection rights, like France's El Khomri law, requires careful consideration given Singapore's flexible work environments and multinational contexts.
Louis Ng asked if the advisory would clarify that employers should not request mental health information unless directly relevant to job performance, and the response indicated the advisory would protect worker well-being but details are pending.

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6 Oct 2020

Impact of COVID-19 on Foreign Students Who Need to Serve Out Their Tuition Bonds

Darryl David and Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim raised concerns about the impact of COVID-19 on international students under the Tuition Grant Scheme (TGS), including employment challenges and bond commitments.
Minister Lawrence Wong emphasized that local university places are prioritized for Singaporeans, with international TGS students making up less than 10% of each cohort and not displacing locals.
The government allows flexibility for TGS bond holders to serve their commitments in Singapore or overseas with Singapore-registered companies, offering case-by-case support for those struggling to find employment.
Universities consider diversity in nationality and field of study for international students, while the Minister noted that TGS recipients and scholarship holders are distinct categories with separate data.
Further details on scholarship vs. TGS recipient ratios and post-study residency outcomes can be provided through separate parliamentary questions.

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5 Oct 2020

Rationale for Further Consultations with AGC on Further Action to be Taken against Parti Liyani's Previous Employer

Derrick Goh questioned the need for further consultations with AGC regarding additional action against Parti Liyani’s former employer, given that a warning had already been issued in 2018.
Josephine Teo explained that MOM’s punitive decisions consider the worker’s well-being and the extent of illegal deployment, and that the 2018 actions against the employer were consistent with past similar cases.
She noted that from 2017 to 2019, about 155 employers per year faced action for illegal deployment, with penalties ranging from warnings to financial fines.
Teo stated that a review of the case is ongoing due to High Court observations and that MOM will provide an update once completed.
The debate centered on whether further AGC consultations are justified after earlier administrative actions were taken in 2018.

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5 Oct 2020

Trend of Female Workforce Participation with Younger Children across Income Deciles over Last Five Years

Over the last five years, the overall female labour force participation rate for those with younger children has risen, with Singapore ranking among the top five OECD countries in 2018 for such participation among mothers with at least one child aged below six.
Labour force participation cannot be measured by income deciles because individuals without work do not draw an income, so trends across income deciles are not available for this group.
A detailed breakdown of the trend is provided in Table 1, though specific data points are not summarized in the debate.

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5 Oct 2020

Guidelines for Cross-deployment of Foreign Domestic Workers and Available Outreach to Ensure Awareness of Rights and Available Platforms to Seek Assistance

The Ministry of Manpower clarified that foreign domestic workers (FDWs) can only work at the address in their permit, with limited cross-deployment to relatives’ homes under supervision, and that employers must inform MOM of such arrangements.
Outreach efforts include the FDW and Employer Guidebooks, the Settling-in Programme for FDWs, and the Employers’ Orientation Programme, which educate both parties on rights, allowed and disallowed deployments, and support channels.
To address FDWs’ fears of job loss when reporting employers, MOM conducts interviews in native languages and ensures that FDWs who assist investigations are not repatriated, with assistance provided for temporary employment or transfer to another employer.

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5 Oct 2020

Measurement of Success of SkillsFuture and Related Continuing Education and Training Programmes in Providing Opportunities for New Careers and Employability

The government tracks placements for placement-related training programmes, with 5,140 placements via Professional Conversion Programmes and 9,554 via SSG's Train-and-Place programmes since 2016.
Longitudinal studies show training improves employability and wages, such as a 5.8% wage premium for WSQ training graduates and a 10% wage premium for SkillsFuture Work-Study post-diploma graduates.
Employer surveys indicate strong support, with 77% of employers saying SkillsFuture programmes helped employees take on more responsibilities and 75% agreeing they aided recruitment and retention.
Industry alignment is fostered through company-led training, including partnerships with firms like Google and IBM and the use of SkillsFuture Queen Bee companies to support SMEs.

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5 Oct 2020

Disbursements of Jobs Support Scheme Payouts to Singapore-registered Companies

The Jobs Support Scheme was designed to support employers in retaining local employees quickly during the COVID-19 crisis, without using profitability as a criterion for payouts, as timely information on business profits was not available.
The government tiered JSS support based on the severity of the economic shock faced by different sectors, with higher support for harder-hit sectors like aviation and travel, and reduced support for better-performing sectors like biomedical sciences and financial services.
The government does not require firms that report profits to return JSS payouts, but encourages them to voluntarily decline or return the support, with over 700 firms having done so as of September 2020.

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5 Oct 2020

Companies Taking Part and Remaining in SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme

About 1,400 companies have participated in the SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme (ELP) since its launch in 2015, with 378 currently active; attrition is not tracked but an MOE survey found 89% of employers intend to continue.
A survey showed 87% of ELP graduates were employed in full-time permanent jobs six months after graduation.
As of October 2019, 59% of graduates remained with the company that trained them during the ELP.

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5 Oct 2020

Persuading GLCs to Prioritise Singaporean Jobs In Mass Retrenchment Exercises

Sylvia Lim questioned whether the government uses its shareholder influence in Government-linked companies to prioritise Singaporean jobs during mass retrenchments.
Heng Swee Keat explained that GIC and Temasek operate independently from the government, maintaining an arm’s-length relationship and not directing commercial decisions.
The government supports jobs through measures like the Tripartite Advisory, Jobs Support Scheme, and the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package, aiming to prevent retrenchments and support workers.
Efforts focus on responsible retrenchment, job creation, and upskilling to sustain employment beyond the COVID-19 crisis.
The approach applies across all sectors, not just Government-linked companies, and is designed for both immediate and long-term job security.

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