Employment & labour — Topics

3 Aug 2021

Measures to Prevent Patients on Kidney Dialysis from Being Discriminated against at Workplace

Tripartite partners promote flexible work arrangements and protect dialysis patients from discrimination under the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices, with 93% of firms offering such arrangements in 2020.
The government is tackling kidney disease upstream through initiatives like the War on Diabetes, focusing on lifestyle changes and community engagement to prevent kidney failure.
There are calls to collaborate with companies to create specific flexible roles, like work-from-home call center jobs, for dialysis patients, though legislative mandates are seen as challenging.

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3 Aug 2021

Impact on Employees with Change in Employer-provided Insurer

Employers can choose to provide health insurance as a benefit, but there is no legal requirement to do so; any changes to such benefits should ideally be agreed upon by both employer and employee.
The Portable Medical Benefits Scheme (PMBS) is recommended as an alternative to traditional insurance, allowing employees to retain coverage even when changing jobs, and all Singaporeans and Permanent Residents are covered by MediShield Life for major medical costs.
The Minister emphasized the need for better education and multi-stakeholder collaboration, involving ministries, tripartite partners, and professional associations, to clarify insurance plan differences and improve regulation of third-party administrators.
For employees affected by changes in employer-provided insurers, support can be sought through the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management, especially in cases involving collective agreements, though there is no statutory mandate for employers to maintain specific coverage.
There are calls for best practice guidelines from agencies like TAFEP, MOH, and MAS to ensure more consistent insurance practices and clearer avenues for worker support when employer-provided coverage changes.

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3 Aug 2021

Support for Food Catering Businesses

The Minister acknowledged the challenges faced by food catering businesses and highlighted the 60% wage support provided to them under the Jobs Support Scheme during the Phase Two (Heightened Alert) period.
The Minister emphasized that caterers may need to adapt to changing consumer preferences and encouraged them to pursue transformation efforts, such as developing new business models or diversifying into new areas, with government support.
An example was provided of a caterer, Kitchen Haus Group, which used government funding to launch a cloud kitchen concept and virtual brand, opening new growth opportunities.
The Minister urged food caterers to tap on available government schemes like the Enterprise Development Grant to strengthen their resilience and explore new opportunities in a changing environment.

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3 Aug 2021

Incentives for Companies to Extend Flexible Working Arrangements to Outsourced Workers

The Senior Minister of State explained that the Work-Life Grant, which incentivised flexible work arrangements (FWAs), applied to contractors performing outsourced work but was ceased in August 2020, with employers now being encouraged to provide FWAs to attract and retain talent.
A supplementary question highlighted the "double hurdle" for outsourced workers, where both contractors and outsourcing companies may pass the buck, making it difficult to implement FWAs, as illustrated by cases of cleaners and security staff needing flexibility for health reasons.
The Senior Minister of State acknowledged the challenges in applying FWAs to certain outsourced roles like shift work and front-line jobs, but emphasised tripartite efforts, including the Alliance for Action on Work Life Harmony, to explore job redesign and technology to enable more flexibility.

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2 Aug 2021

Breakdown of Work Permit Holders Earning Basic Wages between $3,000 and more than $4,500

Leong Mun Wai asked for the number of Work Permit holders earning basic wages between $3,000 to less than $4,500 and more than $4,500.
Tan See Leng stated that as of December 2020, the median fixed monthly salary for Work Permit holders was around $1,100, with about 98% earning less than $3,000 per month.
He highlighted that Work Permit holders are subject to quotas, levies, sector-specific conditions, source restrictions, security bonds, medical examinations, and marriage and pregnancy restrictions.

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2 Aug 2021

Breakdown of Industries Benefiting from and Singapore Citizens Hired under Jobs Growth Incentive as of February 2021

The Jobs Growth Incentive supported the hiring of over 270,000 locals across 42,000 employers from September 2020 to February 2021, with top sectors being Food Services, Wholesale Trade, Professional Services, Retail, and Information and Communications.
The proportion of Singapore Citizens among JGI-supported hires aligns with their share in the resident labour force, and the scheme aims to support all locals including those with Singaporean dependants.
Median wages for JGI-supported hires in each sector were higher than the median for all new hires in the same sector, with six in 10 earning the same or higher wages compared to their previous jobs.
Specific salary band breakdowns by monthly income (e.g., less than $3,000, $3,000–$4,500, etc.) for Singaporean Citizens were not provided in the response.

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2 Aug 2021

Statistics on Work Passes Issued to Foreign Nationals Belonging to any of 127 Professions Listed under Annex 9A of India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement

Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Manpower for the total number of work passes issued to foreign nationals (any nationality) belonging to any of the 127 professions listed under Annex 9A of the India-Singapore CECA.
The Minister responded that the 127 professions under CECA Annex 9A have no bearing on work pass assessments, as all applicants must meet prevailing criteria regardless of CECA, and the Ministry does not track or report data based on that occupational grouping.
The Minister noted it is not meaningful to look at the number of non-Indian professionals in those 127 professions, as such professionals would likely have no link to India or CECA.
Broadly, work pass holders of all nationalities make up less than one-quarter of all employed persons in the Singapore Standard Occupational Classification Group 2 (Professionals).

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2 Aug 2021

Application of Dependency Ratio Ceiling to Companies Supplying Labour to Construction, Marine and Process Sector and Services Sector

Leong Mun Wai asked whether the dependency ratio ceiling applies to companies supplying labour to the construction, marine, process and services sectors, what violations have been found, and if the Employment Agency Enforcement Digest will resume publication.
Tan See Leng stated that labour supply is only allowed within construction and process sectors, not marine, with the original employer still subject to the dependency ratio ceiling and no EA licence needed unless performing EA work.
He noted that the EA Enforcement Digest was discontinued after 2019, with enforcement now communicated through industry sessions and alerts, and that common infringements include unlicensed EA activities and accommodation violations.

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2 Aug 2021

Raising Awareness amongst Foreign Domestic Workers and Migrant Workers on Their Rights and Protection under Singapore Law

The Ministry of Manpower conducts Settling-In-Programmes in workers' native languages to educate them on their employment rights, Singapore’s laws, and channels to seek help for issues like abuse or stress.
Mental health support is integrated through regular reminders via the FWMOMCare app and e-newsletters, with counselling hotlines and shelters offering services in multiple languages, free of charge, and available at any time.
The ACE Group strengthens mental health support by training peer leaders and officers to provide psychological first aid, while also ensuring access to primary healthcare and specialist psychiatric services when needed.

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2 Aug 2021

Ministry's Forecast of Job Creation in Industries Covered by Industry Transformation Maps and Steps Taken to Meet Demand

The Ministry noted that before the COVID-19 pandemic, the original Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs) contributed to an increase of about 111,400 in total employment from December 2016 to December 2019.
The Government has refreshed the ITMs into ITM 2025 to address structural shifts caused by the pandemic, with reviews currently in progress and updates to be shared progressively.
To support businesses and workers through the pandemic and prepare for the future, the Government has implemented measures such as the SME Working Capital Loan, Temporary Bridging Loan Programme, Jobs Support Scheme, and Jobs Growth Incentive.
Tripartite partners are collaborating to uplift worker productivity and wages, create good jobs, and prepare Singaporeans for future jobs and skills.

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2 Aug 2021

Foreigners on Student Pass Undertaking Part-time Work

Foreign students on a Student's Pass must obtain a work pass to work in Singapore, except under specific conditions allowing part-time work up to 16 hours per week or industrial attachments tied to course requirements, provided they are enrolled in one of 20 approved institutions.
From 2016 to 2020, 73 Student’s Pass holders were found working illegally without a work pass, leading to enforcement actions, fines, imprisonment, deportation, and bans on future employment.
Employers who illegally hire Student’s Pass holders face fines of $5,000 to $30,000, up to 12 months’ imprisonment, or both, and may have their work pass privileges suspended.

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2 Aug 2021

Child Development Co-Savings (Amendment) Bill

The Bill introduces new cash benefit schemes for working fathers and adoptive mothers on short-term contracts or whose employment ends before their child's birth or adoption, and extends top-ups for parents who are retrenched or have contracts expire during leave.
It grants birth-linked leave and benefits to parents of stillborn children and allows employers to be reimbursed for voluntarily granting parental leave to employees who do not meet the minimum work period criteria.
The amendments disqualify fathers from childcare and infant care leave for children born from extramarital affairs to align with the policy intent of supporting parenthood within marriage, while enhancing accountability and audit powers for government schemes.

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2 Aug 2021

Protection from Inclement Weather for Workers Transported in Lorries

Since 2011, lorries transporting workers must have canopies to protect against rain, with penalties for non-compliance, and the Ministry actively enforces this and encourages the use of additional rain covers or delaying trips in severe weather.
The Ministry does not currently require specific guidelines beyond the canopy rule but urges employers to prioritize worker welfare by considering extra measures like waterproof tarps.
The question was raised by a Member of Parliament seeking clarification on measures and possible new guidelines for worker protection during rainy transport in lorries.

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2 Aug 2021

Clarification by Senior Minister of State for Manpower

Senior Minister of State for Manpower Dr Koh Poh Koon clarified that he misspoke during a previous answer about fines for work pass holders engaged in illegal employment.
The correct penalty is a fine of $20,000, imprisonment of up to two years, or both—not $2,000 as previously stated.
The correction references the official report from 2 August 2021 on enforcement restrictions for work pass holders.

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2 Aug 2021

Enforcement of Restrictions on Work Pass Holders Working for More Than One Employer

The Ministry of Manpower enforces restrictions by investigating public complaints and conducting proactive inspections, with an average of 160 work pass holders warned annually between 2016 and 2020 for illegal employment, leading to their debarment from working in Singapore.
Penalties for work pass holders include fines up to $2,000, imprisonment up to two years, or both, while employers face fines up to $30,000, imprisonment up to 12 months, or both, with work pass privileges suspended.
MOM has evolved its approach by using data analytics to detect suspicious behaviour and enhancing education through mobile apps, mandatory settling-in programmes, and social media campaigns to raise awareness of illegal employment rules.

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2 Aug 2021

Forged Educational Qualifications by Employment Pass and S Pass Holders in Infocomm Technology Industry

From 2018 to 2020, 11 Employment Pass and S Pass holders in the ICT industry were found to have submitted false qualifications, leading to revoked work passes and permanent bar from working in Singapore.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) requires employers to verify qualifications, especially for institutions not in its database, using third-party screening agencies, and rejects applications with fake or unaccredited credentials.
MOM uses a risk-based approach to classify educational institutions, requiring higher-risk ones to provide third-party verification, while maintaining checks on lower-risk institutions through predictive analytics and occasional independent verifications.

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2 Aug 2021

Average and Median Starting Salaries for Social Workers

Mr Louis Ng asked for the average and median starting salaries of social workers over the past five years and whether the Ministry plans to recommend higher salaries for them.
The Minister provided data showing entry-level social worker salaries increased from $3,500 (mean) and $3,400 (median) in 2015/2017 to $3,600 for both in 2019, aligned with general graduate salaries, and highlighted NCSS guidelines to ensure competitive pay.
Mr Ng reiterated his query on salary increases for the next financial year and asked about other retention measures, to which the Minister emphasized annual guideline updates to match market competition and cautioned against unnecessary intervention in market forces.

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2 Aug 2021

Proposal for MediSave Contribution Requirements to be Lowered Temporarily to Allow Self-employed Persons to Qualify for Workfare Income Supplement

Leon Perera questioned the number of self-employed persons (SEPs) unable to qualify for Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) due to missing MediSave contributions and proposed temporarily lowering MediSave requirements for SEPs during COVID-19, citing their financial vulnerability.
The Senior Minister of State for Manpower explained that WIS eligibility requires CPF contributions to promote personal responsibility for retirement and healthcare, noting that most SEPs meet MediSave obligations within two years and have flexible payment options, while alternative COVID-19 grants are available.
Perera clarified whether SEPs could receive WIS payouts before completing MediSave contributions, emphasizing low-income SEPs' urgent financial needs, and the Minister responded that existing flexibilities like instalment plans and deferments are reasonable, distinguishing WIS as an income supplement rather than direct aid.

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2 Aug 2021

Proportion of Self-employed Persons Who Could Not Receive COVID-19 Recovery Grants due to Insufficient MediSave Payments

Leon Perera asked about the proportion of self-employed persons who could not receive the COVID-19 Recovery Grant due to insufficient MediSave payments, to which the Minister replied that less than 1% of unsuccessful CRG applications by SEPs were due to not meeting MediSave contribution criteria, specifically 0.04%.
The Minister explained that SEPs must contribute to their own MediSave accounts based on past declared earnings, with a waiver for first-time CRG applicants but a requirement for subsequent tranches to either have no arrears or commit to a GIRO instalment plan.
Applicants failing to meet other criteria like job search or training accounted for less than 1% of unsuccessful CSG applications and around 3% for CRG, with exemptions for those still employed or on no-pay leave.
The Minister encouraged those facing difficulties to approach Social Service Offices for alternative support, while emphasizing the high compliance rate of SEPs in MediSave contributions.
In a follow-up, the Minister clarified that the rejection rate due to MediSave issues is very low, and while help is extended wherever possible, the commitment to MediSave contributions is crucial for long-term healthcare and retirement needs.

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2 Aug 2021

Number of and Actions against Licensed Cleaning Companies that Have Failed to Comply with Progressive Wage Model

Since the Progressive Wage Model began in 2014 until 31 May 2021, the National Environment Agency penalized 57 licensed cleaning companies and warned 52 others for violations such as failing to pay bonuses or progressive wages.
The government is implementing strategies under the Environmental Services Industry Transformation Map to professionalize the cleaning workforce through technology, upskilling, and improved procurement practices.
In response to concerns about companies circumventing requirements, the Minister stated that authorities will consider tips from whistleblowers and conduct enforcement checks to ensure compliance with the PWM.

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