Employment & labour — Topics

6 Mar 2023

Data on Care Staff to Residents Ratio in Local Nursing Homes

All nursing homes inspected in the last six months met the required staff-to-resident ratios, but the sector faces tight manpower challenges due to global demand for healthcare workers.
The Ministry of Health is working with the Agency for Integrated Care to attract and train staff through programs like the Community Care Traineeship and by recruiting foreign nurses, though compensation levels are under ongoing review.
While the Ministry does not currently have specific compliance data on salary norms, it is considering ways to better attract and retain local staff but has no immediate plans to align pay with restructured hospitals.

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3 Mar 2023

Number of Private Companies Offering Childcare Sick Leave

Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Manpower for the annual number of private companies offering childcare sick leave from 2021 onward.
Tan See Leng stated that employers are legally required to provide up to six days of paid childcare leave and six days of unpaid infant care leave per year.
Beyond the mandatory leave, some employers may voluntarily offer additional paid or unpaid child sick leave.
According to 2020 survey data, 3,635 private companies (27%) voluntarily provided additional paid child sick leave.
The response did not provide yearly figures from 2021 onwards, citing only the latest available 2020 data.

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3 Mar 2023

In-principle Approval Letters Issued to Work Permit Holders Broken Down by Basic Salary

Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Manpower for each year in the past five years, how many in-principle approval letters issued to Work Permit holders (domestic and non-domestic workers) stated basic salaries in the ranges of less than $100, $101–$500, $501–$800, $801–$1,200, and above $1,201.
As of January 2023, the median basic monthly salary for domestic Work Permit holders was $650, while for non-domestic Work Permit holders it was $1,000.
The basic salary does not fully reflect overall remuneration because employers are required to provide accommodation, food, and medical care under regulations.
Work Permit holders may also receive additional wages such as overtime pay, allowances, bonuses, or cash incentives.
The basic salary figures are only one component of the total compensation package for Work Permit holders.

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3 Mar 2023

Parent-care Leave Taken by Public Servants

Louis Ng Kok Kwang requested data from the Prime Minister on the number and percentage of public servants taking parent-care leave, as well as the average and median days taken each year from 2019.
The Prime Minister’s response stated that from 2019 to 2022, about 50% of eligible civil servants took at least one day of parent-care leave annually.
On average, public servants took 1.8 days of parent-care leave, with a median of two days per year during the same period.

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3 Mar 2023

Committee of Supply – Head I (Ministry of Social and Family Development)

Seah Kian Peng raised clarifications on increasing the supply of infant care teachers to address long waitlists, the timeline for reviewing ComCare and Public Assistance schemes, and empowering Social Service Officers (SSOs) with greater flexibility in assessing applicants.
Minister of State Sun Xueling responded that ECDA is using a three-pronged approach—reviewing working conditions, ensuring competitive salaries, and enhancing skills development—to recruit more early childhood educators, including targeting local and foreign manpower sources.
Minister Masagos Zulkifli noted that ComCare and Long-Term Assistance were last reviewed in August 2022, with ongoing monitoring of inflation, and that income eligibility is assessed holistically by SSOs with flexibility on a case-by-case basis.
Senior Parliamentary Secretary Eric Chua highlighted that ComCare applications are streamlined through SupportGoWhere, and ComLink is a policy sandbox for experimentation, with befrienders supported by SSO staff and trained in various competencies.
MPs raised questions about sheltered workshops for persons with disabilities, volunteer management for ComLink befrienders, and information sharing across agencies, with Eric Chua noting ongoing reviews and collaborative efforts to improve social service delivery.

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3 Mar 2023

Assessing Employability Impact of Training Courses Supported by Government Funds

The Minister detailed that SkillsFuture Singapore uses the TRAQOM survey and other studies to assess training outcomes, publishing results on MySkillsFuture and using them to evaluate training providers for continued funding.
Studies such as the 2019 evaluation of Work-Study Post-Diploma programmes and the 2018 WSQ training review showed positive wage outcomes for trainees.
The Minister confirmed that training providers with consistently poor feedback may face corrective actions or cessation of funding, though specific data was not available.

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2 Mar 2023

Forgery of In-principle Approval Letters for Employment Purposes

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Ministry of Manpower for data over the past five years on investigations, convictions, and stern warnings for forging in-principle approval (IPA) letters for employment.
From 2018 to 2022, MOM received 70 reports of forged IPA letters, typically involving overseas agents who alter employment terms like salary before providing the forged letters to migrant workers.
One employer was convicted for forging an IPA letter during this period, while the overseas perpetrators often remain beyond MOM's enforcement reach.

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2 Mar 2023

Foreign Versus Local Companies that Qualify Under Condition 1 of Manpower for Strategic Economic Priorities Scheme

Leon Perera asked for a breakdown of foreign versus local companies among the 1,000 firms qualifying under Condition 1 of the Manpower for Strategic Economic Priorities (M-SEP) scheme, with the Minister clarifying that all beneficiaries must be locally incorporated or registered to hire Work Permit or S Pass holders.
The Minister noted that about 40% of eligible firms have at least 30% local shareholding, but shareholding is not a prerequisite; the scheme focuses on firms contributing to economic growth and creating opportunities for Singaporeans, with tight selection and collaboration with agencies like EDB and Enterprise Singapore.
Perera raised a supplementary question about a two-year requirement for firms to maintain their local workforce share, questioning how hiring more foreign pass holders could affect this share, with the Minister explaining that the scheme’s focus is on overall economic competitiveness and training for locals, not isolated workforce ratios.

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1 Mar 2023

Performing Artiste Work Permit Holders' Employment Rights and Responsibilities

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) requires employers to provide Work Permit holders, including performing artistes, with key employment terms in their native language before arrival and within 14 days of employment start.
MOM disseminates educational information on rights and support channels through social media and the FWMOMCare application to inform permit holders.
MOM conducts inspections and investigates complaints to enforce labour protections for all Work Permit holders, including performing artistes.

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1 Mar 2023

Committee of Supply – Head S (Ministry of Manpower)

The debate focused on the challenge of an ageing workforce, with MPs urging the government to redesign jobs for older workers, expand part-time work opportunities, and enhance support schemes like the Part-time Re-employment Grant to prevent a "cliff-drop" in the workforce.
Concerns were raised about the impact of foreign manpower policies on local PMEs and SMEs, with calls for finer calibration of frameworks like COMPASS and the Shortage Occupation List to ensure complementarity while protecting Singaporean jobs.
The House discussed strengthening retirement adequacy, including CPF reforms for seniors and platform workers, while ensuring progressive wage increases for lower-income workers through the Progressive Wage Model and Workfare support.

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28 Feb 2023

Data on Hawkers on Hawkers Claiming Workfare Income Supplement and Efforts to Supplement Incomes of Hawkers

Mr Leong Mun Wai inquired about the number and percentage of hawkers claiming Workfare Income Supplement, outreach efforts to eligible self-employed persons, and additional government measures to support hawkers’ incomes amid rising costs.
The Workfare Income Supplement scheme automatically provides up to $2,800 annually to eligible self-employed persons like hawkers, with about 50% of stallholders receiving it in 2020, while others are ineligible due to income, age, or MediSave contribution issues.
The CPF Board engages lower-income self-employed persons through multilingual letters, websites, and social media campaigns to promote Workfare eligibility and MediSave contributions.
The government supports hawkers through low rentals and direct household assistance like Community Development Council vouchers to offset food costs, rather than using Workfare to cover business expenses.
Workfare is designed to encourage work and retirement savings, not to offset business cost increases for self-employed persons like hawkers.

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27 Feb 2023

Correlation between Tightening of Foreign Worker Quotas and Hiring of Singaporeans at Higher Pay

Leon Perera asked whether studies have been conducted on the effects of tightening foreign worker quotas on hiring Singaporeans at higher pay and potential business failures, and if not, whether the Government would consider such a study.
The Minister for Manpower stated that internal studies show tightening access to lower-skilled foreign workers is more likely to improve local employment outcomes by substitution, while the impact is less clear for higher-skilled foreign professionals, with studies having limitations and being just one input to policymaking.
In a supplementary question, Leon Perera sought clarification on the findings for lower-skilled workers and whether the correlation for higher-skilled workers indicates a shortage of locally produced skilled professionals.
The Minister clarified that for lower-skilled workers, tightening quotas can lead to better outcomes for locals up to a point, but excessive tightening could harm economic progress; for higher-skilled workers, the Government is actively developing local talent but also needs foreign workers to complement the workforce amid rapid economic changes.

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24 Feb 2023

Data on Work Permit Holders Who Are Paid Electronically and Not Living in Dormitories

Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked for the number and percentage of Work Permit holders not in dormitories paid electronically, and for an update on talks with tripartite partners about extending this requirement.
Tan See Leng stated that the Ministry of Manpower lacks data on Work Permit holders not in dormitories paid electronically.
The ministry has prioritized implementing electronic payments for Work Permit holders in dormitories, focusing on compliance verification and addressing non-compliance.
Discussions with tripartite partners are ongoing to possibly extend electronic salary payment requirements to more workers in the future.

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24 Feb 2023

Debate on Annual Budget Statement

Members highlighted the need for better employment and respite care support for caregivers of persons with severe disabilities, while also questioning the adequacy of assistance for middle-income families, singles, and seniors.
The debate addressed fiscal sustainability, with the government defending the need for the GST increase and explaining its revenue and expenditure projections, while some members suggested alternative revenue options like wealth taxes.
Concerns were raised about the impact of government policies on housing affordability, business competitiveness, and wage growth, with the government defending its approach to land pricing, industry transformation, and supporting lower-wage workers.

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23 Feb 2023

Number of Stay-at-home Moms and Efforts to Help Them Seek Employment

There are approximately 39,100 women not looking for work due to childcare responsibilities, with 2,400 actively seeking employment after leaving jobs to care for children.
Workforce Singapore offers employment programmes and Career Conversion Programmes with high salary support, especially for those aged 40+ or unemployed over six months, to facilitate re-entry.
Career centres and advisory services are available to help stay-at-home mums improve job search strategies and reposition their skills for employers.
Employers are encouraged to adopt fair practices and provide re-entry support, with government agencies promoting non-discrimination in line with tripartite guidelines.

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23 Feb 2023

Companies Investigated for Unauthorised Salary Deductions from Employment Pass Holders

Leong Mun Wai asked if companies have been investigated for unauthorised salary deductions from Employment Pass holders and how many such companies were investigated.
The Ministry of Manpower has measures to screen employers who may not intend to pay the declared salary.
From 2018 to 2022, MOM investigated 167 companies for potential EP salary criteria contraventions.
Among these, 10 companies were specifically investigated for making unauthorised salary deductions from EP holders.
The response indicates that while many companies were investigated for EP salary issues, only a subset involved unauthorised deductions.

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23 Feb 2023

Support for Elderly and Unskilled Workers At Risk of Being Replaced by Automation

The Ministry of Manpower, with sector agencies, has launched Jobs Transformation Maps (JTMs) to detail how technology affects jobs and guide upskilling, with 10 JTMs completed and eight more in development.
Career Conversion Programmes (CCPs) provide salary support for employers to reskill at-risk workers and redeploy them, with higher support for mature workers aged 40 and above, and the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme offers attachments for mid-career switches.
The Progressive Wage Model and Workfare Skills Support Scheme help lower-wage workers upskill and progress, while the Senior Employment Credit and Part-time Re-employment Grant support hiring older workers and flexible work arrangements.
The Government collaborates with tripartite partners like NTUC and employer federations to set up Company Training Committees and access grants for business transformation and job redesign.
The approach emphasizes enterprise and workforce transformation moving together, with workers prepared through upskilling to take on higher-value tasks as automation reshapes jobs.

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23 Feb 2023

Impact of Surge of Wealth from Investments by Family Offices on Income Gap in Singapore

The government stated that family offices, while enhancing Singapore’s wealth management role and creating jobs, have not been found to impact income inequality, with the Gini coefficient declining from 0.478 in 2012 to 0.437 in 2022 before further redistribution.
Income growth for lower-income workers has outpaced median growth, with real annualised income at the 20th percentile rising 3.5% from 2012 to 2022, higher than the median’s 2.6% growth.
The government emphasises a balanced approach through economic growth, re-skilling initiatives like Workfare and the Progressive Wage Model, and a progressive tax-and-transfer system to ensure all Singaporeans benefit from investments and maintain social mobility.

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23 Feb 2023

Increases in Starting Salaries for House Officers, Medical Officers and Junior Residents in Public Healthcare System

House Officers and first-year Medical Officers received 7% and 13% increases in starting salaries respectively from 1 January 2023.
The salary adjustments for eligible in-service Medical Officers, Residents, and Dental Officers depend on their years of service and bond period.
The different increments across junior doctor levels reflect market movement of salaries by seniority.
The Ministry of Health will continue reviewing salaries to keep them competitive in the public healthcare system.

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23 Feb 2023

Debate on Annual Budget Statement

Members called for greater support for SMEs, including streamlined grant applications, foreign worker quota reviews, and targeted assistance to help businesses navigate rising costs and manpower constraints, while also advocating for enhanced support for special needs students in ITEs, including more resources, teacher training, and inclusive facilities.
Debates highlighted concerns about fiscal sustainability, with proposals to treat land sales proceeds as revenue over lease periods, revise corporate tax structures to ensure larger, profitable companies contribute more, and strengthen social safety nets, including unemployment support and retirement adequacy, while cautioning against measures that might fuel housing price spirals.
Parliament emphasized the importance of tripartism, wage progression through the Progressive Wage Model, and uplifting lower-wage workers, alongside calls for better support for gig workers, women returners, and seniors, including digital access, caregiver support, and age-friendly workplace policies, to build a resilient and inclusive society.

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