Tan See Leng
Singapore
“We are aware of the Singapore Workplace Report 2026, produced by the Singapore Institute of Directors and Gallup, and we are studying its findings.”
“The Taskforce for Responsible Retrenchment and Employment Facilitation (Taskforce) actively reaches out to all retrenched local employees. In 2025, 77% of Mandatory Retrenchment Notifications (MRNs) were submitted at least seven days ahead of the employee's last working day and 73% of MRNs were submitted at least two weeks ahead.”
“From 2022 to 2025, vacancy rates for technical maintenance roles in the real estate services sector, which includes facilities management, have been lower than the overall job vacancy rate, except in 2025 (see Table 1).”
“The Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA) works with sector agencies to determine the courses which are required by the respective industries. The SWDA currently funds more than 100 courses, spanning a wide range of mental health-related fields.”
“In the first quarter of 2026, the profile of retrenched residents aged 50 to 59 was broadly similar to the profile of all retrenched residents, predominantly comprising professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) and were mainly from wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing, financial and insurance services and profession…”
“In 2025, around 4,200 resident professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) aged 45 to 59 were retrenched, higher than 3,200 in 2024 and 3,500 in 2023. Their six-month re-entry rate remained stable at 48.5% in 2025, compared with 48.9% in 2024 and 50.1% in 2023.”
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“Fresh graduates can reach out to Education and Career Coaches in their respective Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) should they require support in their job search or tap on Workforce Singapore's (WSG) career matching services.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, there is no data on job openings for fresh graduates, which I shall use as a collective term to also include graduates who just finished National Service. This is because employers do not usually specify the demographic requirements of job applicants in their job advertisements, as this is a breach of the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices (TGFEP). Based on the annual Graduate Employment Survey (GES), employment outcomes for fresh graduates from our autonomous universities, polytechnics and Institutes of Technical Education (ITEs) have remained strong. Amongst fresh graduates who were looking for jobs, about 90% of the 2022 cohort were employed within six months of graduation. Of those employed, 80% were in full-time permanent employment, which is comparable to pre-COVID levels. The remaining 20% in part-time temporary or freelance employment were mostly in such jobs by choice, with the majority doing so to pursue further studies. Ms Nadia also asked about the proportion of fresh graduates in contractual roles. The GES does not collect this information. Full-time permanent employment includes contracts lasting one year or more. While hiring sentiments have dipped in the third quarter of 2023, the overall labour market remains tight. The number of job vacancies has trended downwards but remained high at 87,900 as at June 2023 and the ratio of job vacancies to unemployed persons stood at 1.94. We have been highlighting the downward trend in terms of the job vacancies because of the tougher, uncertain economic outlook that is facing us, with the economic headwinds in the next few quarters. We will continue to closely monitor the situation and we will stand ready to assist our graduates.”
“Individuals who are unable to work for extended periods of time due to mental illness can apply for the ComCare Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance (SMTA) at the Social Service Office. ComCare SMTA provides temporary financial assistance to lower-income persons who are temporarily unable to work, or are earning a low income and require assistance to meet their basic needs. In addition to cash assistance, SMTA clients may also receive assistance with medical bills at public healthcare institutions. These individuals can also approach employment support agencies, namely, the Singapore Anglican Community Services' Integrated Employment Services, Institute of Mental Health's Job Club and Singapore Association for Mental Health's MINDSET Learning Hub, for customised support and training to obtain better employment opportunities. These agencies will help to pair them with employers and put in place necessary support to enable a meaningful employment outcome. To create more inclusive workplaces to better support the employment of these individuals, the National Council of Social Service, in collaboration with corporates and social service agencies, developed the Mental Health Toolkit for Employers to provide practical guidance to employers on hiring and supporting individuals with mental health conditions in the workplace. This Toolkit includes measures to equip supervisors to manage mental health in the workplace and available resources to implement workplace adjustments to enable these individuals to perform their job functions better.”
“The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) takes a serious view of insensitive advertisements by employment agencies (EAs), which cast Migrant Domestic Workers (MDWs) in an undignified manner. MOM has existing guidelines on advertising practices and advisories have been issued to EAs placing MDWs. The guidelines and advisories include, examples of acceptable advertisements and examples of advertisements to avoid, such as the use of inappropriate language. MOM will investigate all cases of insensitive advertising by EAs and enforcement action may be taken against non-compliant EAs.”
“Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP)/LTVP+ holders with a Letter of Consent are not subject to foreign worker quotas. This information is publicly available on the Ministry of Manpower's website and is easily accessible to employers.”
“The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the Tripartite Alliance of Dispute Management (TADM) have not received feedback or complaints about employers who do not recognise medical certificates (MCs) from registered doctors. This is supported by ground feedback from Tripartite Partners, who informed us that employers have been recognising MCs from all registered doctors and dentists, as specified in the Employment Act. If employees encounter issues with their sick leave entitlement, they should first surface the issue through the company's internal grievance handling channel and may also approach their union if their company is unionised. They may approach MOM or TADM for further assistance if needed.”
“We publish data on the proportion of retrenched residents who re-entered employment within six months post-retrenchment from 2000 onwards on the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) website. The data for the proportion of those who re-entered employment in the same sector is available annually in the fourth quarter's Labour Market Report. The requested time series is provided below in Table 1, where around two-thirds re-entered into a different industry since 2009. While wage data for the requested time series is not available, a 2021 MOM study found that retrenched residents who re-entered employment in the same industry from which they were retrenched were more likely to receive similar or higher wages in their new roles, compared to those who switch industries. This is expected as employers tend to place more value on workers' prior industry-specific experience.”
“The nature of food delivery work is decentralised and mobile. Hence, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) relies mainly on complaints to detect possible instances of foreigners working illegally as food delivery riders, in order to carry out enforcement actions. From 2018 till 18 October 2023, MOM received a total of 163 complaints on suspected illegal foreign delivery riders. Our investigations established that the majority of these complaints were unsubstantiated as the foreigners were either legitimate work pass holders employed by the food and beverage establishments as in-house deliverymen, or there was insufficient information or evidence to warrant further action. Enforcement actions were eventually taken against 10 foreigners. Platform companies or any party found to have abetted the illegal employment are liable to the same penalties as the foreigners who worked illegally as food delivery riders in Singapore without valid work passes, which is a fine not exceeding $20,000, imprisonment for up to two years, or both. This is already one of the higher penalties under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.”
“The Ministry of Manpower is studying the parameters for the scheme to support involuntarily unemployed workers to bounce back into jobs. More information will be announced when the parameters of the support scheme have been finalised.”
“The Government fully recognises the importance of employees' claims on wages or salaries in the event of their employer winding up. Such claims are already given priority above all other unsecured debts. They are behind only the costs and expenses of winding up, which are necessary for the winding up to proceed smoothly. We will review the cap as part of our regular policy reviews.”
“For example, 12 firms were recognised just last week in 2023's Tripartite Alliance Awards for their efforts to support work-life harmony, including through implementing FWAs. The Workgroup will discuss how to further profile progressive employers with FWAs and promulgate their best practices.”
“The Tripartite Workgroup for the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests (TG-FWAR) is currently discussing what the scope of the Guidelines should be. We recognise that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs). The size of a firm, the nature of its business and jobs and the needs of different workers can vary widely. There is also a variety of FWAs that could be implemented, depending on the needs of businesses and the workers. For example, while telecommuting may not be suitable for frontline workers, other arrangements, such as flexible-shift scheduling and staggered hours may be implemented. Hence, providing FWAs should not be overly prescriptive for employers as they would know how to optimally balance the needs of their business with those of their employees, whether it is to support caregiving or upskilling. We are mindful to not take a rigid approach, which may affect workers' employability and firms' productivity. Instead, we want to build up a norm where employers and employees can discuss constructively what kinds of FWAs work best for them. The Tripartite Guidelines will lay out how employers can assess FWA requests fairly and require them to do so. At the same time, it will also lay out how FWAs should be used responsibly by employees. Employers should also manage and appraise employees on FWAs fairly, in line with the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices. With a tight labour market, it is in employers' best interests to offer the right FWAs that allow them to maintain productivity while attracting and retaining talent. We also recognise employers that adopt FWAs through the Tripartite Standard on FWAs and the Tripartite Alliance Awards.”
“The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) works closely with various stakeholders, including tripartite partners, to support workers who are laid off. After employers notify MOM of any retrenchments, the Taskforce for Responsible Retrenchment and Employment Facilitation, which comprises representatives from MOM, Workforce Singapore, National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute and Enterprise Singapore, will reach out to the affected workers via their employers and offer them career matching services. This includes providing information kits on career resources, employment facilitation services and Government support for financial assistance if required. Information on Government schemes that provide financial support in areas, such as basic living expenses, housing instalments and school fees will be shared; and the taskforce can also help to direct affected workers who require support to the relevant Government agencies. For unionised workers, employers will normally notify the union before the retrenchment exercise and work closely with them to assist the affected workers in areas, such as employment facilitation, training and quantum of retrenchment benefit.”
“We do not track the number of Employers of Record in Singapore, nor the number of Singaporeans employed under them. A worker who is employed by an Employer of Record (EOR) is considered an employee as long as there is a contract of service between the worker and the EOR and they are accorded the entitlements under the Employment Act. This applies even though the workers perform work for the EOR's client. Workers who believe that they have not been accorded their entitlements under the Employment Act may approach the Ministry of Manpower for assistance.”
“As mentioned in response to several recent Parliamentary Questions, such as those filed by Members of Parliament Mr Yip Hon Weng and Mr Louis Chua at the 3 July and 4 August 2023 Parliament Sittings, we have been seeing strong demand for dormitory beds. This remains the situation today and is due to employers hiring more migrant workers as the economy recovers from COVID-19. The number of migrant workers in the Construction, Marine and Process (CMP) sectors is now about 120% of the number in 2019. The Government continues to work with the dormitory industry to increase dormitory bed supply. For large-scale construction projects, Construction Temporary Quarters are being used to house workers where feasible. As migrant worker numbers cannot keep rising, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) urges employers to adopt productivity measures to reduce their reliance on foreign workers and to consider their ability to house their workers before taking on new projects. MOM also reminds employers to ensure housing has been secured for their workers before they enter Singapore. Since 19 September 2023, employers in the CMP sectors must provide proof of acceptable accommodation before they are allowed to bring their workers into Singapore.”
“There is only one incident that the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the Workplace Safety and Health Council (WSHC) have encountered involving the forgery of bizSAFE certificates over the past five years. This case is currently under Police investigation. MOM and WSHC take a serious view of any misrepresentation or fraud involving our programmes, which may mislead the public, the companies involved and their clients, as well as undermine the standards of workplace safety and health. WSHC had issued a bulletin to alert companies that they should verify their bizSAFE status through the WSHC's official bizSAFE portal. This portal is the sole authoritative source of information on bizSAFE status. If companies notice any discrepancies, they should immediately contact the WSHC for further verification.”
“The requested information is in the appended table below. The figures are presented as two-year moving averages to smoothen year-on-year fluctuations due to the small number of persons with disabilities surveyed.”
“CPF Board uses birth month rather than birth year for the purposes of computing CPF payouts as this is typical industry practice for similar products.”
“From 2020 to 2022, there were, on average, about 180 cases per year from migrant workers on illegal employment that were found to be substantiated. Similarly, the average annual substantiated cases were about 60 for kickbacks, 65 for false salary declarations, 35 for illegal deployment and three for failing to refund agency fees. The number of substantiated cases has been dropping for all five categories since 2020.”
“The data for parts (a), (b)(i) and (b)(v) of the question can be found in the Ministry of Manpower (MOM)’s annual Labour Force in Singapore reports and quarterly Labour Market Reports, which are available on MOM’s website. The remaining data requested by the Member are provided in the tables below.”
“Wage statistics are obtained from the Comprehensive Labour Force Survey (CLFS). As CLFS is a snapshot survey and does not track the same individual over time, information on the number of workers who did not have wage increases in the past 10 years is not available.”
“The Workfare Income Supplement Scheme was recently enhanced in January 2023. As part of the enhancements, we extended Workfare to younger lower-income workers aged 30 to 34 years, from 35 years and older previously. We also increased the maximum Workfare payments to $4,200 per year, up from $4,000 per year previously. Workfare is not provided to workers aged below 30, as most of them would have just started work and earning starting wages. Most of them would have the potential for future wage growth and it will be premature to consider them for Workfare. As announced by Prime Minister Lee at National Day Rally 2023, the Government will be further enhancing Workfare. More details will be announced at next year’s Budget. The Government has also recently announced a $1.1 billion Cost-of-Living Support Package in September, which provides additional relief for all Singaporean households, with more support for lower- to middle-income families. This package builds on the existing support provided to households at Budget 2023. Combined, the support provided this year will, on average, fully cover the increases in spending by lower-income households this year, due to inflation and the GST rate increase, and substantially cover the increases in spending by middle-income households.”
“Dormitory operators are only required by the Foreign Employee Dormitories Act (FEDA) to ensure that migrant workers have access to adequate dedicated transport to their workplaces if they do not walk, cycle or have transport provided by their employers. For non-work travels, migrant workers would usually use public transport. While not required under FEDA, some larger dormitory operators may also supplement this with shuttle services to public transport nodes on their own accord. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) does not require such dormitory operators to monitor the waiting times of their shuttle services provided on a voluntary basis, but if there are areas not sufficiently served by existing transport services, dormitory residents are advised to inform MOM through the Forward Assurance and Support Team (FAST) on the ground or FWMOMCare mobile app. MOM will work with LTA and the relevant dormitory operators to improve the transport situation accordingly.”
“Between 2020 and 2022, an average of around 380 wrongful dismissal claims were filed with the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) each year from employees working in firms with fewer than 25 employees. Out of the firms involved in wrongful dismissal claims who employed fewer than 25 employees during the three-year period, about 6% of them had more than one claim filed against them. Employees who feel that they have been wrongfully dismissed can approach TADM for help, regardless of the workforce size of the firm.”
“Central Provident Fund Board (CPFB) is actively working with other Government agencies and banks to safeguard members’ CPF savings from scams. CPFB and GovTech introduced Singpass Face Verification as a step-up authentication challenge for certain CPF e-services in June 2023. In addition, CPF withdrawals are only paid into bank accounts after banks have verified that the bank account belongs to the member. We are mindful that the nature of scams is constantly evolving and are committed to strengthening our safeguards. Hence, CPFB is developing an additional suite of measures to protect CPF members’ savings, which include options to limit or disable online withdrawals. We will provide more details in due course.”
“The Tripartite Workgroup for the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests is currently deliberating the scope of the Guidelines. We are also actively consulting employees, human resource (HR) professionals and employers, including SMEs. The Workgroup will also make recommendations on how to promote the effective and sustainable provision and utilisation of flexible work arrangements (FWAs). These will build on existing initiatives by the Tripartite Partners, such as workshops run by the Singapore National Employers Federation and the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices, and the Playbook for Hybrid Workplaces developed by the Institute for Human Resource Professionals. In our engagements with employers, many have emphasised the importance of recognising the very diverse needs and constraints of different types of businesses, of striking a balance between accommodating employees’ FWA requests and not compromising business operations and outcomes. Some SMEs have also shared that they lack dedicated HR resources and have limited manpower to implement FWAs effectively. The Workgroup will take into account these feedback in designing the Guidelines and consider how best to support employers and HR practitioners, including SMEs.”
“The Ministry of Manpower is studying the International Labour Organization’s Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations’ direct request and will respond to it in due course.”
“IFL provides free one-to-one financial health clinics and retirement planning workshops covering topics, such as money management, managing CPF savings and estate planning. To reach employees, IFL has been partnering employers to deliver workplace financial literacy programmes.”
“To help Singaporeans attain basic retirement adequacy, we, first and foremost, need to ensure that our economy continues to be competitive and create good jobs. We uplift lower-wage workers through Workfare and Progressive Wage moves. Singaporeans can be assured that they will be able to meet their basic retirement needs as long as they work and contribute consistently to the Central Provident Fund (CPF). About seven in 10 active CPF members who turned age 55 in 2022 set aside the CPF Basic Retirement Sum or more. This would improve to about eight in 10 for CPF members who turn age 55 in 2027. As our life expectancy improves, more seniors are able and wish to continue working. We will support them by increasing the statutory retirement and re-employment ages to 65 and 70 respectively by 2030, up from 63 and 68 today. This will enable our seniors to work longer if they wish to and further strengthen their retirement adequacy. Retirement planning is, ultimately, a personal responsibility. To help Singaporeans in this journey, CPF Board, MoneySENSE1 as well as MoneySENSE’s ground outreach arm, the Institute of Financial Literacy (IFL), conduct outreach and provide resources on retirement planning. For example, CPF members reaching the age of 55 will be invited to a one-to-one CPF Retirement Planning Service, which offers personalised guidance, so that they can make informed decisions on how best to prepare for retirement with their CPF savings. CPF Board also regularly engages and educates members on retirement planning through its social media platforms, electronic direct mailers and face-to-face community events/talks. There is also an annual CPF Board Retirement Planning Campaign to inspire Singaporeans to start planning for their retirement.”
“The average paid annual leave days provided to full-time resident employees aged 25 to 64 are shown in the table below:”
“More guides and materials will be published alongside the passing of the new legislation, and the tripartite partners will also strengthen the education of employers and workers. If employees are unsure if they have experienced workplace discrimination, they can approach their unions or TAFEP for advice and assistance. Some employees may hesitate to report workplace discrimination for fear of retaliation. As such, the proposed legislation will include provisions to protect the identity of employees who report workplace discrimination and to protect them from retaliation by employers. Even as we develop this new legislation, we want to maintain a workplace culture that is harmonious and not litigious. Mediation of workplace discrimination claims at the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) will continue to be the primary focus, with emphasis on educating employers on fair employment practices and mending the employment relationship. Parties could explore monetary or non-monetary remedies, such as the employer reinstating an employment offer or the employer providing an apology. As a neutral party, TADM will assist both parties to arrive at fair and mutually agreed outcomes. We will continue to work closely with all stakeholders to build fairer and more harmonious workplaces in Singapore.”
“To be clear, all forms of discrimination not covered by the legislation will remain protected under the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices (TGFEP). The new workplace fairness legislation will be a significant milestone for Singapore. In our consultations, we have heard concerns that legislation that is too wide would have a negative impact on employer-employee relationships. If the workplace becomes too cautious and litigious, relationships could suffer and this is not in the long-term interest of employers and employees. This proposed scope of the Workplace Fairness Legislation was determined after careful deliberations by the Tripartite Committee on Workplace Fairness so that workers are protected while the views of employers are also taken into account. The proposed legislation will be scoped to cover the common and familiar forms of workplace discrimination, which are (a) age, (b) nationality, (c) sex, marital status, pregnancy status, caregiving responsibilities, (d) race, language, religion, (e) disability and mental health conditions. These five protected characteristics cover more than 95% of discrimination cases reported to the Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices (TAFEP). These support key policy objectives to encourage employment of women, caregivers, mature workers, persons with disabilities, among others. Workplace discrimination may have been committed if employers made an adverse employment decision based on an employee’s protected characteristic. Employees may refer to the TGFEP and other materials by the Tripartite Partners for illustrations of what constitutes workplace discrimination and, just as importantly, what does not.”
“The proportion of active Central Provident Fund (CPF) members turning age 55 who have set aside their Full Retirement Sum (FRS) fully in cash increased from about four in 10 in 2018 to about five in 10 in 2022. The number of such members are about: 17,000 in 2018; 18,000 in 2019; 18,500 in 2020; 19,100 in 2021; and 19,700 in 2022. About two in 10 active CPF members turning age 55 each year between 2018 to 2022 have set aside their FRS in a mixture of property and cash, instead of fully in cash. The number of such members are about: 6,900 in 2018; 6,800 in 2019; 6,900 in 2020; 7,100 in 2021; and 7,000 in 2022. About three in 10 of active CPF members who turned 55 in 2022 had not set aside the FRS in cash or in cash and property. This corresponds to about 13,400 members.”
“With Forward Assurance and Support Teams (FAST) on the ground and the introduction of the FWMOMCare mobile application, migrant workers have easier access to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). This has allowed MOM to be more effective in assuring and addressing their concerns. Migrant workers contact MOM for various reasons and request for information and assistance. Each feedback and request is followed up by MOM, but we do not track complaints as a category. The common issues raised by migrant workers that require intervention by MOM are illegal employment, criminal kickbacks, false declaration of salary, employment agency’s failure to refund agency fees and illegal deployment.”
“The primary purpose of CPF is to support members’ retirement, healthcare and housing needs. When the CPF was expanded to support education in 1989, it was designed as a loan scheme and confined to basic tertiary education at local approved educational institutions. After graduating or leaving their course of study, students have to repay in cash the amount withdrawn plus interest into the lender’s Ordinary Account so as to restore lenders’ CPF savings for their retirement needs. This cautious approach is to safeguard the primary purpose of CPF. With increasing life expectancy, we need to ensure that CPF members have sufficient savings for retirement, healthcare and housing. Therefore, we have no plans to open up the CPF Education Loan Scheme for other courses beyond basic tertiary education at local approved educational institutions. Singaporeans should consider other financing options available to members, such as study or education loans offered by financial institutions. For those who are interested in shorter training courses, SkillsFuture Singapore provides course fee subsidies of up to 70% for eligible courses delivered by approved training providers.”
“Migrant domestic workers (MDWs) who are assisting with investigations are generally allowed to work under the Temporary Job Scheme, unless there are concerns over public safety or interference with investigations. Employers may request to continue hiring their MDWs who have been given stern warnings. The Ministry of Manpower is not considering live-out options for MDWs as it will pose more difficulties for employers to maintain oversight of their MDWs' well-being and safety. Households that require domestic help for only certain periods of the day can consider engaging the services of companies on the Household Services Scheme instead. MDWs may terminate their employment at any time with notice, as provided for in the employment contract. Should they wish to transfer to another employer, they will require the consent of their current employer.”
“All reports of potential wrongdoing by employers against their migrant domestic workers (MDWs) or MDWs against employers will be investigated by the Police and the Ministry of Manpower, for offences under the Penal Code and the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, respectively. The investigation outcome, including the decision whether to prosecute, depends on various factors, such as the sufficiency and strength of the evidence. When no enforcement action is taken against the accused, it does not necessarily mean that the complainant had made a false accusation. There have been enforcement actions against individuals who knowingly provide false information.”
“Since late June 2023, the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board and the Government Technology Agency of Singapore have introduced Singpass Face Verification as a step-up authentication challenge for certain CPF e-services. On top of this, members can only withdraw CPF savings above the Full Retirement Sum. Such withdrawals are paid directly into a verified member-owned bank account and CPF Board sends a notification via SMS and/or email to alert the member for any CPF withdrawals. All of the withdrawals were paid to the members' bank accounts. With these measures, there have been no CPF savings lost directly from the CPF system. Notwithstanding, we recognise that scammers could move on to other methods. Hence, CPF Board is carefully considering solutions that have been implemented by the industry, alongside others that were suggested by the public, to further strengthen safeguards against scams. For security reasons, we are unable to provide details of the solutions that are under development. CPF Board will continue to work closely with other Government agencies and banks to increase the protection for members. For the scam victims of unauthorised CPF withdrawals, CPF Board is providing all the necessary assistance to help the Police in their efforts to investigate these cases and track down those responsible for scams.”
“Employers are required to and have been submitting retrenchment notices to notify the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) of any retrenchments within five working days after informing affected workers. This enables us to provide employment facilitation support to workers in a timely manner. The Taskforce for Responsible Retrenchment and Employment Facilitation, which comprises representatives from MOM, Workforce Singapore (WSG), National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute and Enterprise Singapore, then follows up with every notified retrenchment by reaching out to the affected workers via their employers and offering them career matching services. This includes providing information kits on career resources, employment facilitation services and the Government support available for financial assistance if required. This will assist the affected workers, including younger workers and those with low savings or heavy financial commitments, to find alternative employment quickly. Based on MOM's Labour Market Survey, in 2022, around 70% of retrenched residents were able to find employment within six months after retrenchment. Affected workers who need help to reskill for new job roles or full-time attachments can also tap on WSG programmes, such as the Career Conversion Programmes (CCPs) and Mid-Career Pathways Programme. With close to 100 CCPs across around 30 sectors being offered, affected workers tapping on CCPs will be able to choose a programme which best fits their needs and interests. For affected workers from lower-income households, they can continue to approach the Social Service Offices to apply for the ComCare Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance if they need help with basic living expenses.”
“Under the Foreign Employee Dormitories Act Licence Conditions, dormitory operators must provide every dormitory resident with a bed, which includes a bed frame and base board or mattress. In our experience, dormitory operators either provide mattresses as a default or do so on request by the workers and these arrangements are managed amicably between the workers and the operators. We do not see the need for a survey. If a worker wants a mattress and is not provided one, he can get assistance from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) through MOM's Forward Assurance and Support Team officers or via the FWMOMCare mobile application.”
“Employers can qualify for the concessionary Migrant Domestic Worker (MDW) levy rate if they are living with family members who are a young child or an elderly person. Individuals with serious medical conditions can also qualify for the levy concession as long as they require assistance with at least one activity of daily living (ADL) with no age criterion. The Ministry of Health adopts ADLs as a measure of the level of care assistance required by an individual, as ADLs are activities necessary for independent living and basic self-care. ADLs include washing, dressing, toileting, feeding and walking or moving around. Employers may apply for the concessionary MDW levy with the Agency for Integrated Care who will assess each case based on care needs. Employers who do not qualify for levy concession can continue to hire the MDW at the standard levy rate of $300 per month.”
“Since 2018, 80 companies have been found to have made false salary declarations in respect of work pass applications or renewals. Out of these 80 companies, one is a manpower supply company and 57 are companies with fewer than 25 employees.”
“Singapore agrees with the spirit and intent of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention (C111), which requires ratifying member states to, "pursue a national policy designed to promote, by methods appropriate to national conditions and practice, equality of opportunity and treatment in respect of employment and occupation, with a view to eliminating any discrimination in respect thereof". Even though we have not ratified C111, our policies and measures are already aligned with the spirit of the Convention. Our national policy position is clear: all forms of workplace discrimination are not tolerated. Jobseekers and employees are to be treated fairly and based on merit, as set out in the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices (TGFEP). The Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) conducts education and outreach to employers, so that employers can take ownership of fairness in their work environment. When there are breaches of TGFEP, TAFEP looks into every complaint of discriminatory practices and asks the company to correct deficient practices. The Ministry of Manpower stands ready to take enforcement action where needed. The Government will be enacting Workplace Fairness Legislation. This is a significant step forward in our continued efforts to enhance workplace fairness in Singapore and is a further strong signal that workplace discrimination is not acceptable. Singapore takes its international commitments seriously. Of the 10 ILO Fundamental Conventions, we have already ratified seven. We will continue to take our tripartite approach to enhance our workplace fairness framework in Singapore and keep the issue of ratification of C111 in review.”
“For those who are unable to work consistently and have less in retirement, we provide targeted support through schemes, such as the Silver Support Scheme. We also encourage family members to support their loved ones by making top-ups to their CPF Retirement Accounts. The Government will match top-ups for eligible seniors through the Matched Retirement Savings Scheme. We recognise that older generations of Singaporeans grew up under different economic circumstances. Our seniors had less time to benefit more from Singapore's growth and from recent improvements to the CPF system and, hence, have built up less retirement savings. For Singaporeans from the Pioneer and Merdeka Generations, including those who are presently aged 65 and above, they will continue to benefit from the generous Pioneer Generation and Merdeka Generation Packages. For Singaporeans who are young seniors and currently between 50 and 64 years old, we have designed the Majulah Package to provide more support to those with lower incomes and less wealth. Those in the Pioneer and Merdeka Generations will also benefit from the Majulah Package if they are eligible. Younger Singaporeans below age 50 are saving more in their CPF through work than the older generations due to wage growth. They will also have a longer runway to benefit from more recent enhancements to the CPF system and Singapore's economic growth and save up for their retirement. We will be sharing more details on other enhancements to the Workfare Income Supplement, Silver Support Scheme and the Matched Retirement Savings Scheme next year.”
“The Central Provident Fund's (CPF's) Basic Retirement Sum (BRS) is the amount that members are required to set aside at age 55 to provide a basic payout for life from age 65. The BRS is adjusted regularly by taking reference from the lower-middle retiree household expenditure and factoring in long-term inflation as well as some increase in the standard of living. Thus, BRS attainment remains a relevant indicator for basic retirement adequacy. The BRS does not prevent members from setting aside more savings in CPF in order to receive a higher retirement payout, and members who wish to do so can set aside up to the Enhanced Retirement Sum. About seven in 10 active CPF members who turned age 55 in 2022 had set aside the cohort BRS or more. This figure is similar for active CPF members who are Singaporeans. Amongst the three in 10, or 12,400 members, who had not set aside the cohort BRS, about 44%, or 5,400 members, are male and about 56%, or 7,000 members, are female. The seven in 10 active CPF members who had set aside their BRS or more at age 55 in 2022 can expect to receive lifelong monthly payouts of at least around $850 from age 65 based on the CPF LIFE Standard Plan. All active CPF members have positive balances in their CPF accounts and will receive some CPF LIFE payout, if they are on the scheme. To help Singaporeans attain basic retirement adequacy, we, first and foremost, need to ensure that our economy continues to be competitive and create good jobs. We uplift lower-wage workers through Workfare and Progressive Wage moves. Singaporeans can be assured that they will be able to meet their basic retirement needs as long as they work and contribute consistently to CPF.”
“Data on employment of persons with disabilities is collected through the Ministry of Manpower's Comprehensive Labour Force Survey. Due to the low prevalence of disability, the number of employed respondents with disabilities in the survey cannot be used to accurately estimate the number of employed persons with disabilities in the resident population. From the survey, we can estimate the proportions requested by the Member. Amongst employed persons with disabilities aged 15 to 64, in 2021 to 2022, about four in 10 were working as professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs), while the remaining were in non-PMET jobs. The share of employed persons with disabilities working as PMETs has increased over the years, in line with the overall trend for employed residents in general.”
“Migrant workers with valid salary claims lodged with the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management are allowed to look for a new employer until their salary claims are resolved, which typically ranges from two to eight weeks. Over the past five years, a migrant worker with a valid salary claim took, on average, two weeks to find a new employer. In instances where the migrant worker has found new employment but needs additional time to complete the Work Permit application, we will facilitate and grant an extension to complete the application. We do not track the number of workers who applied for an extension to remain in Singapore.”
“I thank the Member for that question. I thought that since the Member has gotten MAS and MTI's perspective, perhaps I can share a little bit from MOM's perspective. For our data analytics, we triangulate and work with various sector agencies, to drive and improve our data analytics. The nature of data analytics is dependent on past cases that you can learn from and that is the learning model. But it is important to note that, as a result of this particular incident, my sense is that it has strengthened us as a global hub. Like what Minister Josephine Teo talked about, zero tolerance does not mean zero occurrence. But the very fact that when this was surfaced, there was a WOG approach, carefully coordinated, very targeted, to eventually catch such a big web sends a very strong signal to the world that we continue to welcome global talent, we continue to welcome top-notch enterprises to come to set up, as long as you do your business honestly, earnestly and diligently. I hope that that reassures the Member.”
“With better sharing of information across agencies, MOM can improve our salary fraud checks and share salary fraud cases with other agencies to conduct further probes on whether the relevant individuals are also involved in illicit activities. MOM will continue to take enforcement action on work pass applicants, pass holders and companies who have been found to be involved in illicit activities. Our work pass framework is part of a broader system that is working as a whole to prevent unscrupulous individuals from entering Singapore on the pretext of employment, though we can and we will review how to tighten our checks at various points. However, we will need to take a balanced approach in reviewing our checks. In the second quarter of 2023, Singapore is ranked the world's best business environment by the Economist Intelligence Unit. This strong performance is in line with many other global rankings on economic competitiveness. Singapore is known to companies as a welcoming place to do business in, and access to both local and global talent is an important factor that they consider. This is a hard-earned reputation that has taken us years to achieve. And as I have said earlier, the vast majority of work pass holders come to Singapore to work and to contribute to our economy. We should not let a handful of individuals or "black sheep" taint the economic contributions of the majority and start closing our doors or giving the impression that we are doing so. In fact, this is exactly why we need to be targeted in strengthening our checks so that we can take action on unscrupulous individuals and on companies while maintaining a business-friendly environment for the vast majority that want to invest in Singapore and to create good jobs for Singaporeans.”
“When asked for the proof of business operations and the ability to pay salaries, the companies which submitted the applications were able to provide supporting documents. In addition, as Minister Josephine Teo explained in her Ministerial Statement earlier, work pass applicants are screened against a database of blacklisted individuals. At the time of their Employment Pass applications, none of the Persons of Interest had INTERPOL's Red Notices issued against them. MOM will continue to sharpen our fraud checks based on real cases on the ground. Learning from the profiles of companies and profiles of individuals involved in the money laundering incident, we will update our data analytics with high-risk archetypes and strengthen our checks on whether businesses are operational. However, I hope that all of us, Members in this House, appreciate and I want to emphasise this, that the majority of work pass holders come to Singapore to work and contribute to our economy. Only a small minority are unscrupulous individuals. We, therefore, must take a sensible approach to calibrating our checks so that we do not hurt bona fide employers. Second, on MOM's role in the WOG's efforts to manage money laundering risks and Mr Desmond Choo's question on how we will improve checks to better do so. Across the Government, we will review how to tighten our verification checks at various points. Minister Indranee shared in her speech that she will be leading an IMC to ensure that our regime remains up-to-date with increasingly sophisticated crimes. MOM will be part of the committee and will support its efforts.”