Employment & labour — Topics

14 Mar 2016

Government Bodies Oursourcing IT, HR, Customer Contact Centre Functions

Leon Perera questioned how many government bodies have outsourced IT, HR, customer contact centres, or other functions to private shared service providers and whether agencies consider salary comparisons with civil servants before outsourcing.
Heng Swee Keat explained that outsourcing is done to achieve efficiency, economies of scale, and to leverage private sector expertise, allowing agencies to focus on core public service delivery.
Outsourcing is typically done through open tenders evaluated on quality factors like track record, innovation, and technical competence, alongside price competitiveness.
The government does not routinely scrutinise the salary terms of outsourced suppliers but expects compliance with labour laws, and has committed to using providers paying according to the Progressive Wage Model for certain sectors.
The approach aims to balance efficiency and quality while ensuring fair labour practices, with agencies deciding on outsourcing based on operational needs and value for money.

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14 Mar 2016

Companies Benefiting from Flexi-Work Arrangements Incentive under Work-Life Grant

Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong asked the Minister for Manpower about the number of companies, SMEs, and employees benefiting from the Flexi-Work Arrangements Incentive under the Work-Life Grant.
Lim Swee Say reported that flexible work arrangement (FWA) adoption by employers with 25+ employees rose from 28% in 2008 to 47% in 2014, and the FWA Incentive received 224 applications by December 2015, with 95% from SMEs.
A quarter of applicants have claimed the incentive, covering about 900 Singaporean employees, with SMEs typically taking a year or more to track FWA utilisation.

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14 Mar 2016

Companies Benefiting from Developmental Grant under Work-Life Grant

Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong asked how many companies have benefited from the Developmental Grant under the Work-Life Grant, how many were SMEs, and how many have formalised flexi-work arrangements.
Lim Swee Say noted that flexible work arrangements have steadily increased among employers, with the grant launched to help cover implementation costs.
From April 2013 to December 2015, there were 325 applications for the grant, with about 95% from SMEs.
So far, 39 companies have formalised flexi-work arrangements and claimed the grant, with more expected in 2016.

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14 Mar 2016

Extending Parent-care and Childcare Leave Schemes to Family Care

Tan Wu Meng asked if the Public Service will expand family-care leave to cover siblings, grandparents, and children above 12, and increase the total leave days.
The Public Service currently offers childcare, paternity, maternity, and parent-care leave, with flexible work arrangements where possible.
The government has enhanced family-care benefits over the years, such as adding parent-care leave in 2012 and increasing paternity leave in 2015.
Any changes to leave schemes must consider the impact on private sector costs and worker employability, as the Public Service sets a precedent for other employers.

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14 Mar 2016

Paternity and Childcare Leave Policies

The Government is considering legislating a second week of paternity leave and allowing more flexibility for mothers to share maternity leave with fathers, while balancing business needs.
Childcare leave has been enhanced, with parents getting six days per parent per year for children under seven and two days for those aged seven to 13, benefiting parents with more children over longer periods.
To encourage company participation, the government offers incentives like the Work-Life Grant, providing up to $160,000 to help employers implement flexible work arrangements.

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14 Mar 2016

Legislation for Two Days of Eldercare Leave Per Year

Miss Cheng Li Hui proposed legislating two days of eldercare leave per year for employees.
Minister Gan Kim Yong acknowledged the challenge of caregiving and committed to studying the suggestion while considering existing leave provisions and employer practices.
The Minister highlighted current employer initiatives, such as family-care and eldercare leave, and noted the rise in flexible work arrangements.
The Ministry has expanded home and community care options and respite services to support caregivers.
The government will continue collaborating with other ministries and unions to encourage family-friendly workplace practices.

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14 Mar 2016

Impact of Preschool Teachers on Recruitment and Centre Operations

The Ministry acknowledges a tight labour market and projects a need for 1,500 more early childhood educators over the next few years, with initiatives like expanded training courses, mid-career conversion programmes, and skills development to attract and retain staff.
While there is some spare capacity nationally, localised shortages exist, causing some centres to operate below capacity or have long waiting lists, and the Ministry is working to address both physical infrastructure and teacher shortages in high-demand areas.
Suggestions were raised to elevate the recognition of preschool teachers, consider foreign-qualified Singaporeans and PRs, and review qualification standards, with the Ministry indicating openness to reviewing these areas while balancing manpower needs and education standards.

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14 Mar 2016

Electronic Payment System for Work Permit Holders

Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked whether employers of work permit holders should be required to pay salaries electronically, similar to S Pass holders.
The Minister of State for Manpower explained that while electronic payments are already mandated if workers request them, two-thirds already receive salaries this way, but some prefer cash due to bank fees or employer administrative burdens.
The Ministry will continue policy reviews and monitor the situation to ensure adequate convenience and protection for workers.
Louis Ng sought clarification on whether workers can seek MOM's help if employers reject electronic payment requests, and what actions MOM would take.
The Minister confirmed that employers must comply with electronic payment requests if made by workers, and MOM can be contacted via its hotline for salary or manpower issues.

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14 Mar 2016

Selection Criteria for SkillsFuture Course Partners

The Acting Minister outlined that SkillsFuture partners are selected based on robust governance standards, including quality assurance systems from the Singapore Workforce Development Agency and Institutes of Higher Learning, with regular audits and industry validation to ensure course relevance and quality.
Miss Cheryl Chan raised concerns about some WDA courses not adequately aiding job seekers, prompting suggestions for clearer course guidelines and more frequent cross-accreditation benchmarks, to which the Minister responded that career coaching and regular audits address these issues.
Patrick Tay praised the inclusion of online platforms like Coursera and Udemy and suggested more frequent reviews of approved courses, with the Minister agreeing to consider quarterly reviews and inviting feedback from unions to broaden the course offerings.

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1 Mar 2016

Take-up rates of Schemes that Encourage SMEs to Hire Fresh Graduates and Interns

The SME Talent Programme (STP) co-funds internships, sponsorships, and training for students from ITEs, polytechnics, and universities, with 155 job matches and over 700 internships in 2015, benefiting 192 enterprises, up from 116 in 2014.
The SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme (ELP) started in April 2015 and had placed 144 individuals in 55 companies across 12 sectors by December 2015, with about half of these companies being SMEs.
The ELP provides work-study opportunities, skills deepening, competitive salaries, and career pathways for fresh graduates, and it will expand to more sectors in 2016.
SPRING will collaborate with trade associations, chambers, universities, polytechnics, and ITEs to increase talent flow to the SME sector.

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1 Mar 2016

Including National Wage Council's Recommendations as Requirements in Cleaning Contracts

Mr Zainal Sapari proposed including National Wage Council recommendations for cleaning workers' wages as a licensing condition.
The Minister explained that cleaning companies already follow wage levels set by the Commissioner of Labour under the Progressive Wage Model.
The Progressive Wage Model is periodically reviewed by the Tripartite Cluster for Cleaners and considers National Wage Council recommendations.
The government will discuss the suggestion with the Ministry of Manpower for further deliberation by the Tripartite Cluster for Cleaners.

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1 Mar 2016

Changes in the Doctor- and Nurse-to-Population Ratios

The Ministry of Health is expanding the healthcare workforce as part of the Healthcare 2020 Masterplan, with a focus on planning ahead for an ageing population and rising demand, rather than setting specific doctor- and nurse-to-population ratio targets.
The Minister emphasized that staffing ratios alone do not guarantee better health outcomes, and the Ministry is prioritizing productivity improvements, new care models, and tripartite partnerships to enhance healthcare quality and sustainability.
Initiatives to grow the Singaporean core include funding mid-career transitions, supporting overseas-trained Singaporeans, improving work environments, and collaborating with educational institutions to attract more students into healthcare careers.

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29 Feb 2016

Disbursements from Open Door Fund

Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Social and Family Development about the number of awards, average quantum, and results of the Open Door Fund since its launch.
The Open Door Fund was enhanced and renamed the Open Door Programme in 2014, supported by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency and administered by SG Enable.
Since 2014, 140 companies have applied for Open Door Programme support, with an average claim of $3,000 per company.
Through the Open Door Programme and other initiatives, about 650 persons with disabilities have been placed in employment over the past two years.
The Open Door Programme includes initiatives like apprenticeships, training, and job redesign to encourage employment of persons with disabilities.

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29 Feb 2016

Measures to Retain Nursing Graduates in Public Sector

Over the past three years, 76% of nursing graduates who joined the public sector remained there after five years.
Since 2014, the "Care" package has increased nurses' base salaries by 3-10% annually and provided a Nurse Special Payment of 0.5 month’s salary.
Public healthcare institutions are expanding flexible and part-time work arrangements, with successful pilots being scaled across all public hospitals.
Career progression has been enhanced through revised bridging courses for Enrolled Nurses and new roles like Assistant Nurse Clinician, with increased funding for skills upgrading.
The government emphasizes the need for societal recognition and appreciation of nurses beyond salaries and work conditions.

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29 Feb 2016

Statistics on Foreigners Given Dependant Passes and Letter of Consent to Work in Singapore

Chen Show Mao asked for the number of foreigners given Dependant Passes and the number of Dependant Pass holders who received a Letter of Consent to work from 2011 to 2015.
Lim Swee Say responded with data showing an increase in Dependant Passes and Letters of Consent issued to Dependant Pass holders over the 2011 to 2015 period.
The debate centered on quantifying the growth in Dependant Passes and work permissions for foreign dependants in Singapore.
The exchange highlights parliamentary scrutiny of foreign manpower trends and policy outcomes.

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29 Feb 2016

Complaints of Unauthorised Salary Deductions

Mr Chen Show Mao asked the Minister for Manpower for statistics on unauthorised salary deduction complaints from 2010 to 2015 and the number found justified.
The Ministry of Manpower received and investigated an average of 50 such complaints per year during that period.
Approximately one-third of these cases were found to contravene the Employment Act after investigation.

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29 Feb 2016

Additional Assistance for Retrenched PMETs to Retrain and Upgrade for Reemployment

The Ministry of Manpower supports retrenched PMETs through SkillsFuture grants, subsidies for mid-career workers, and Professional Conversion Programmes with salary support for employers.
Additional initiatives include the P-Max programme for SME job matching and the Career Support Programme providing wage support for hiring mature PMETs seeking employment.
Agencies like WDA and e2i connect job-seekers to employers via portals, job fairs, and events while monitoring the labour market to enhance employment support as needed.

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29 Feb 2016

Freelancers and Self-employed Workers in Workforce

As of June 2015, there were 300,500 self-employed persons (14% of employed residents), with 169,500 operating without employees.
82% of self-employed persons made regular MediSave contributions as of December 2015, with outreach efforts to encourage timely contributions.
The Work Injury Compensation Act does not cover self-employed persons due to the lack of an employer-employee relationship, but they are encouraged to purchase insurance for work injuries.

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29 Feb 2016

Labour Force Profile

Patrick Tay asked the Minister for Manpower about the number, sectors, and educational breakdown of self-employed full-time freelancers as of 31 December 2015.
As of June 2015, 169,500 employed residents were own account workers, with 93.1% in the services sector, particularly transportation and storage.
16.4% of own account workers held diplomas or professional qualifications, and 21.4% held degrees or above, with 37.8% having diplomas or higher compared to 53.3% for employees.

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29 Feb 2016

Supply and Demand for Pilots

Ms Tin Pei Ling inquired about the balance between the supply of trained pilots from local academies and the demand from airlines, and what support exists for job placements.
Khaw Boon Wan noted there are four approved pilot academies, with about 240 graduates over two years, 80% from airlines' cadet programmes and 20% self-sponsored.
Singapore carriers primarily use their own cadet programmes to screen and match pilots to fleet growth, and the Ministry of Transport does not interfere in these recruitment decisions.

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