Employment & labour

Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked about the timeframe for employers' obligations to submit and update work injury claims under the Work Injury Compensation Act 2019, as well as recourse for employees if employers fail to meet these obligations. Tan See Leng stated that employers must submit an injury report to the Ministry of Manpower within ten days of being notified of the incident. Employees suspecting that their injuries have not been reported can report directly to MOM, which can take action against non-compliant employers. Claims are typically resolved within one to two months but can take longer, and if there are delays, employees and insurers can seek assistance from MOM.

Wan Rizal raised concerns about the challenges SMEs face in implementing flexible work arrangements and sought information on government support for these adaptations. Sharael Taha inquired about studies on the impact of flexible work arrangements on offshoring and the ministry's plans to promote a local remote working ecosystem that balances productivity, cost, and job opportunities. He also emphasized the need to enhance the skills and competitiveness of the local workforce, particularly PMETs, in light of potential offshoring. Additionally, Taha asked about promoting flexible-load and job-sharing opportunities for re-employed workers and remote working options for those with mobility challenges. Tan See Leng noted that relevant questions had been addressed in a prior parliamentary session and directed members to the official report for detailed responses.

Usha Chandradas raised several questions regarding art and music teachers in the educational system, including the number of teachers who teach multiple subjects and the feasibility of them focusing primarily on their specialized arts subjects. Chan Chun Sing responded that there are approximately 1,900 art and music teachers employed by the Ministry of Education, with around 1,100 in primary schools. Most of these teachers primarily teach their main subject, and their resignation rate over the past five years has been consistent with the overall teaching workforce, at around 2% to 3% annually.

Tan Wu Meng raised concerns about safeguards against unfair or discriminatory hiring practices involving artificial intelligence (AI) systems and accountability for HR decisions influenced by AI. Tan See Leng stated that existing Tripartite Guidelines and upcoming Workplace Fairness Legislation protect employees from workplace discrimination, including from intentional misuse of AI. To prevent unintentional discrimination by AI, the government promotes Model AI Governance Frameworks and provides tools for validating AI performance against fairness principles. Discriminatory outcomes from AI hiring practices can be reported to the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices for necessary action.

Pritam Singh asked the Minister for Manpower about the number of workers receiving retrenchment benefits exceeding the prevailing norms based on a 2017 survey and the plans for future surveys on retrenchment benefits. Tan See Leng explained that the prevailing norm for retrenchment benefits is between two weeks to one month of salary per year of service. According to the 2017 survey, 90% of retrenched workers received benefits, with 80% receiving benefits in line with the norm and 10% receiving more. The Ministry of Manpower does not have a fixed schedule for conducting these surveys but will carry out new ones as needed.

Yip Hon Weng raised concerns about strategies to retain locally trained doctors in the public healthcare system and ensure adequate staffing in essential medical specialties, while also addressing the need for more overseas specialists due to an ageing population. Ong Ye Kung responded that the public sector's mission and opportunities for learning have helped maintain a low attrition rate of 3% to 5%. The Ministry has a sufficient pipeline of specialists, but is increasing training for key specialties in response to the ageing population. Efforts are ongoing to expand local medical school intakes and attract Singaporeans trained abroad, alongside the appropriate integration of foreign doctors.

Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Education about collaborating with the Ministry of Manpower to create friendly career resources mapping the Shortage Occupation List to education pathways, provide counseling on skills shortages, organize industry outreaches to schools, and ensure career information is accessible to disadvantaged families. Chan Chun Sing responded that schools and higher learning institutions already prepare students for various careers, offering opportunities for industry immersion and career talks, and information is available on the MyCareersFuture portal. He emphasized the importance of respecting students' personal choices in their course of study while encouraging paths toward in-demand careers.

Ms. See Jinli Jean asked the Minister for Education about the breakdown of Skills Development Fund (SDF) usage over the past three years by workforce sector and sought insights into anticipated changes due to technology intensification. Chan Chun Sing clarified that the SDF, fed by employer contributions and government top-ups, supports local workforce upskilling, with around $290 million collected annually and approximately $1.02 billion spent each year on workforce development. He noted that comparisons of SDF utilization across sectors are not meaningful due to varying skills needs and that course fee subsidies reach up to 70% for younger learners and 90% for those aged 40 and above. The Ministry has no plans to increase subsidies or lower minimum age criteria, emphasizing a commitment to prudent SDF use for lifelong learning and upskilling.

• The Shared Stay-in Senior Care Services sandbox provides foreign manpower concessions including additional foreign worker quota and source relaxations to support testing alternative senior care options.
• Similar foreign manpower flexibilities are offered under the pilot Household Services Scheme for part-time elder-minding and childminding services.
• The Ministry of Manpower will continue to calibrate such concessions for sectors with important societal needs and limited automation or localisation options.

• Hazel Poa asked for the annual number of Employment Pass applications for jobs first posted on the MyCareersFuture portal and the number rejected due to employers not giving fair consideration to Singaporeans over the past five years.
• Tan See Leng replied that an average of 29,200 approved new Employment Pass applications annually were subject to the Fair Consideration Framework and initially posted on MyCareersFuture.
• About 2% of all new Employment Pass applications were rejected over the past five years for incorrectly claiming exemption from the job advertising requirements.
• Over 600 Employment Pass applications were withdrawn or rejected after investigations identified potential discriminatory hiring practices, with errant employers facing sanctions like being barred from hiring foreign workers.
• The Ministry of Manpower emphasized its robust checks, proactive data analytics, and serious action against discriminatory hiring to ensure fair consideration of local applicants.

• Leong Mun Wai asked whether foreign workers with wrongful dismissal claims could stay in Singapore after work pass cancellation to ensure fair treatment.
• Tan See Leng clarified that such workers are allowed to remain in Singapore pending claim resolution.
• The Ministry of Manpower issues special passes to these workers until mediation or adjudication by the Employment Claims Tribunals is complete.

• Leong Mun Wai requested a wage breakdown for local and foreign PMETs by industry from 2020 to 2023, and if not available, the reasons why.
• Tan See Leng provided salary data for non-resident Employment Pass and S Pass holders by industry, noting these groups constitute the majority of foreign PMETs and are pegged to top resident PMET wages.
• For resident wage statistics, the Minister directed the Member to the Ministry of Manpower's statistics webpage, indicating no direct breakdown was provided in the response.

• The debate addressed employers' concerns about foreign workers potentially being more flexible and cost-effective than locals under flexible work arrangement guidelines.
• Measures to support employers were discussed, including tripartite guidelines and government support for fair consideration of flexi-work requests.
• The government emphasized convincing employers of the benefits of hiring locals, such as productivity and long-term workforce stability.
• The Ministry for Manpower confirmed studying the impact of flexible work guidelines on Singaporean employability, with findings referenced in prior parliamentary records.
• The reply directed members to official transcripts for detailed information on the measures and impacts discussed.

• Since implementing enhanced heat stress measures in October 2023, two incidents have been reported and the number of reported heat-related incidents has remained low over the past five years, with no more than five annually.
• MOM has inspected close to 70 workplaces and taken enforcement actions against 23 companies for breaches, working with them to rectify lapses.
• MOM and the WSH Council have released guidelines and checklists, conducted industry forums, and disseminated information through various channels to help employers comply.
• MOM will continue consulting the industry and updating measures to support long-term heat resilience in workplaces.

• Christopher de Souza asked about the investigation process for domestic worker employment disputes to ensure employers have a fair chance to explain their side.
• The Ministry of Manpower stated it investigates all cases thoroughly, impartially, and fairly by speaking to both the worker and employer and reviewing evidence like CCTV or witness accounts.
• Follow-up actions depend on the evidence, such as referring abuse cases to the police or prosecuting and blacklisting workers who provide false information.

• Christopher de Souza asked how the Ministry of Manpower regulates employment agencies for migrant domestic workers to prevent undue influence against employers.
• The Ministry imposes guidelines requiring agencies to act professionally, honestly, and with integrity, avoiding misleading information or pressure on clients.
• Investigations are conducted for guideline breaches, and agencies may receive demerit points that could lead to suspension or revocation of their license.

• The Ministry of Education will introduce structured rotations for senior Key Personnel who have served over eight years in the same school starting from 2027 to help them gain new experiences and contribute to other schools.
• To minimize disruptions, schools can defer rotations for a small number of senior Key Personnel and MOE will facilitate internal posting applications to schools with vacancies.
• MOE and school leaders will assist senior Key Personnel in identifying suitable postings to ensure fair and equal opportunities across schools with different student profiles and resources.

• The Public Service Division already offers flexible work arrangements such as staggered work hours, part-time options, and telecommuting.
• These arrangements are decided jointly between officers and their agencies, considering personal needs and operational requirements.
• The Public Service supports wider adoption of flexible work arrangements to help officers balance work and personal responsibilities while maintaining public service standards.

• The Tripartite Advisory on reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities is being developed with community engagement and aims to be released alongside the Workplace Fairness Legislation.
• The advisory will provide guidance to employers and employees but will not be part of the Workplace Fairness Legislation, instead complementing it to prohibit disability discrimination.
• Effectiveness of accommodations will be measured primarily by employment outcomes, with ongoing feedback gathered from employers and employees to refine the advisory after its release.
• The advisory and the new law will work together with the Enabling Masterplan to enhance employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.

• Gerald Giam asked whether companies receiving over $5 million in grants must submit skills transfer roadmaps with specific local upskilling targets, if future grant tranches depend on meeting skills milestones, and what terms ensure such transfers.
• Gan Kim Yong responded that grants support business upgrades and growth, with local employment and training considered case-by-case, and pointed to a prior parliamentary reply on skills transfer programmes.
• He emphasized that specific grant conditions are tailored to each project rather than applied uniformly, and directed the member to existing government upskilling initiatives for details.