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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“From 2021 to 30 June 2023, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) received about 2,000 reports on companies inflating their foreign worker quota by making Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions to locals who are not working for the firm, otherwise known as “phantom workers”. Of these, only about 10% were eventually found to be substantiated and referred for further investigations. The top three sectors were food and beverage, personal services, such as beauty salons and spas, and manufacturing. As “phantom workers” are typically only paid CPF and not their salary, these CPF contributions would not form part of the taxable income. However, should anyone suspect that their income tax had been incorrectly computed, they should inform the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) promptly and provide supporting documents to validate their claims, for example, payslip or employment agreements. IRAS will then review and rectify any inaccuracies if substantiated. Singaporeans who receive CPF contributions from unknown companies should immediately report the matter to the CPF Board.”
“Companies are not allowed to split the salaries of its local employees across different business entities for the purpose of obtaining foreign worker quota for each business entity. Those who do so will be investigated for breaching the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act as a form of inflating their foreign worker entitlement. Between 2018 and 2022, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) investigated about 640 employers for inflating their foreign worker entitlement. Of these, only a small proportion involved employers splitting the salaries of their locals across multiple business entities. MOM does not specifically track whether these business entities are related as it is immaterial to the enforcement outcomes. Of the 640 employers investigated, enforcement actions were eventually taken against about 15% of them. No enforcement action was taken against the remaining employers as investigations showed that they did not hire any foreign workers using the additional quota gained, there were administrative lapses by the companies or due to insufficient evidence.”
“The Ministry of Manpower (MOM)’s budget expenditure takes into account COVID-19-related measures. The bulk of this went into providing for the Jobs Growth Incentive (JGI). JGI was an extraordinary measure introduced during COVID-19 to support employers to expand local hiring. MOM took on a more generous stance in providing funding to preserve and increase hiring activity in the labour market, given the uncertainties posed by COVID-19 on the economy. The lower-than-expected budget utilisation for the last financial year was largely due to significantly lower COVID-19-related spending, particularly in the utilisation of JGI. This was due to the rapid recovery in the jobs market and the economy in general. In processing grants, the Government aims to do so efficiently and expeditiously, while ensuring accountability for funds disbursed. For example, wage support schemes such as JGI, Enabling Employment Credit and Senior Employment Credit, are administered as automatic schemes, where eligible employers will receive support without having to submit an application. At the same time, we have to institute checks to detect possible cases of abuse or error, hence, a minority of cases are picked up for manual review based on a risk management framework. As we manage our finances across an entire term of Government, the funds not used for JGI can be deployed to other spending plans, which could include, as Mr Derrick Goh suggested, efforts to support our small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and workers. The spending estimates are tabled for Parliament’s approval as part of the annual Budget process.”
“International studies have shown that there is a positive relationship between well-being and productivity. Since 2021, the Ministry of Manpower has been collecting data on mental well-being at the workplace via the iWorkHealth tool. The iWorkHealth tool is a self-administered psychosocial health assessment tool for companies and their employees to identify common workplace stressors. Based on responses from about 16,000 employees, we found that employees who experienced work stress or burnout (i) took about an additional 1.25 to 1.5 days of medical leave per year and (ii) encountered accidents or near-miss incidents about two to 2.5 times more, compared to employees who did not. In other words, when employers take care of employee well-being, they can expect to see lower absenteeism and fewer accidents. As businesses and jobs transform, employers should design work processes and workplaces with the physical and mental health and safety of their employees in mind. We urge employers to tap on the iWorkHealth as one of the tools to address workplace stressors in the company. The Workplace Safety and Health Council is open to supporting companies that are interested in measuring the impact on employee well-being resulting from workplace transformation.”
“The study by Duke-NUS and the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) presents the economic case for organisations to invest in their employees’ mental well-being given the economic and productivity loss resulting from depression and anxiety among adults. The Ministry of Manpower does not mandate mental health awareness and training programmes for employers and managers at the moment. There is a wide range of businesses, and they vary in the nature of work, size of company, supervisor-employee ratio, employee needs and company resources. There is also a wide spectrum of mental health conditions and a wide range of factors affecting one’s mental health, some of which are beyond the workplace. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to supporting mental health and well-being for employees. Instead of prescribing mental health awareness and training programmes for employers and managers, we encourage every workplace to identify suitable representatives to be Mental Well-being Champions to increase awareness and promote adoption of mental health support measures. Employers and managers who are passionate about this cause are welcome to attend free or subsidised training programmes offered by the Workplace Safety and Health Council and Health Promotion Board. Tripartite Partners also provide practical guidance via the Tripartite Advisory on Mental Well-being at Workplaces that employers can adopt to support their employees’ mental well-being. That said, workers too have to take ownership of their mental well-being by taking active steps to stay positive mentally and seek help when needed. Family members, friends and coworkers can also play a part in supporting the mental health and well-being of those around us.”
“The Tripartite Standard on Work-Life Harmony (TS-WLH) recognises employers who implement progressive practices to support their employees’ work-life needs. This includes providing flexible work arrangements (FWAs), enhanced leave benefits, employee support schemes, such as provision of family day and the appointment of senior management as Work-Life Harmony Champions. TS-WLH does not prescribe the specific types of FWAs, enhanced leave benefits or employee support schemes that firms should provide. As business and employees’ needs may evolve over time, firms have the prerogative to decide on what to provide. As such, the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices does not track TS-WLH adopters’ provision of specific types of FWAs and enhanced leave benefits.”
“The Ministry does not track employees being asked to make restitution for property at the workplace that has been damaged or stolen by external individuals. The Employment Act already provides some protection for employees in such situations. While employers can deduct from the salary of an employee for damage to or loss of goods due to the employee’s fault, such deductions must not exceed 25% of the employee’s one month’s salary, except with the Commissioner for Labour’s permission. Before deducting the employee’s salary, the employer should hold an inquiry to determine if the employee is directly at fault and give the employee an opportunity to explain. Employees who feel aggrieved by such salary deductions may seek help from the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management. The Ministry also investigates complaints on unauthorised or excessive salary deductions and will take enforcement action against the employer if the deductions are found to have contravened the Employment Act.”
“Today, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) may make applications to the Employment Claims Tribunals (ECT) to publish the judgment and grounds of decision that are assessed to be useful references to parties, including employers, employees and mediators. As to whether the ECT should be required to publish these as default for all cases, the Ministry will consider this as part of the workplace fairness legislation review.”
“The median and average CPF Ordinary Account, Special Account and MediSave Account balances, and median and average amounts withdrawn for residential property broken down by age bands as at December 2022 are shown in Table 1 below. As members aged 55 and above can make CPF withdrawals in cash from age 55 depending on their needs, the comparison between their CPF balances and amount withdrawn for housing would not be meaningful.”
“Data on the net change in resident employment by worker’s prior residency status and whether they were in full-time or part-time roles is not collected in the quarterly labour market reports.”
“MOM will take various steps to ensure a smooth implementation of the new requirement for employers. First, we have listed the 12 selected companies on our website, along with links to their respective websites. MOM has required these companies to have a dedicated page on their websites for employers to understand the coverage, cost and processing time of their verification services. Second, MOM will require the companies to adhere to the processing times they have declared in their proposals to MOM. Third, MOM will work with the associations represented in the panel to educate employers on the new requirement.”
“As I had announced in my Committee of Supply (COS) 2023 speech, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will require employers submitting new Employment Pass (EP) applications to provide verification proof for diploma-level and above qualifications from 1 September 2023. These qualifications will then be accorded the correct points under the Complementarity Assessment Framework. Employers can use background screening companies that are listed on MOM’s website. Otherwise, employers can use online verification portals of local governments or educational institutions, or submit digital certificates verified through the OpenCerts portal. MOM conducted an Expression of Interest exercise in April 2023 and have selected 12 background screening companies. These companies were carefully selected by a panel comprising representatives from MOM, tripartite partners, business and human resource associations. The background screening companies will be subject to regular MOM checks and annual reviews by the panel. Companies which fail to meet MOM’s requirements, quality and service standards at any point will be removed from the listing. If there are inaccurate or conflicting verification results, MOM will ask the companies to explain the discrepancies and audit their verification process, including their correspondences with the institutions, to ascertain the accuracy of the verification checks. The companies were assessed by the panel based on the following criteria: (a) Scale of operations and geographical coverage; (b) Cost of verification services; (c) Time taken to verify qualifications; (d) Processes to ensure accuracy of verifications; (e) Capabilities for customer support; and (f) Processes to protect confidentiality of client information.”
“The Sponsorship Scheme allows for senior citizens who are 60 years old and above, not earning an income and not staying with any working adults, to hire a migrant domestic worker (MDW) based on the income of up to two sponsors. The sponsor(s) and the elderly employer are jointly responsible for the upkeep, maintenance and well-being of the MDW. In view of these obligations, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) requires the sponsor to have a direct familial relationship with the senior, such as being the senior’s child, grandchild or sibling. Nonetheless, we recognise that there will be instances where the senior citizen has no such family members. MOM allows other family members to be the sponsor on a case-by-case basis. MOM will ask for information that explains his or her circumstances and his or her relationship with the sponsor. If the senior citizen requires the MDW urgently, MOM will expedite the approval process.”
“The Ministry of Manpower did not promulgate any regulation that only single-deck beds should be used in migrant worker dormitories. In 2020, we trialled the use of single-deck beds in Government-built and -owned Quick Build Dormitories to reduce risks of disease transmission. The new dormitory standards introduced in September 2021 did not incorporate the use of single beds. While single beds may reduce disease transmission, it is only one factor in managing transmission risks within dormitories while it reduces the usable space for residents in the room. Instead, the new standards adopted other features, such as en-suite toilets, room capacity caps and self-contained sections on each floor, to strengthen public health.”
“I thank Assoc Prof Lim for his question. Under the Shared Responsibility Framework, which involves the financial institutions, the telcos and individuals, the Government is engaging very closely with all the relevant industry stakeholders. There is a plan for a public consultation paper to come out in the third quarter of this year. So, I suggest that perhaps, at that particular point in time, we can delve deeper into the details.”
“I thank Assoc Prof Lim for his question. Indeed, we are considering that part of it. This is under the Shared Responsibility Framework, which involves the financial institutions, the telcos and many other participating entities. Currently, the Government is engaging very closely with all the different industry stakeholders and we will continue to do so. There is a plan for a public consultation paper to come out in the third quarter of this year. So, I suggest that perhaps, at that particular point in time, we can delve deeper into the details. [Please refer to "Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams", Official Report, 4 July 2023, Vol 95, Issue 106, Oral Answers to Questions section.] [(proc text) Written statement by Dr Tan See Leng circulated with leave of the Deputy Speaker in accordance with Standing Order No 29(5): (proc text)] I wish to make the following factual clarification to the speech made during the oral reply for Parliamentary Question No 3 at the Sitting of 4 July 2023. It should read as follows:”
“From 2021 to 2022, the Ministry of Manpower approved an average of about 1,100 applications per year from current or former Work Permit holders to marry Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents (PRs). Of the approved applicants, 84% were female. We assess all marriage applications holistically, taking into account the applicants' ability to look after themselves and their families.”
“There was an average of 200 Construction Temporary Quarters (CTQs) in each of the past five years. With effect from 1 April 2023, all CTQs with seven or more beds are regulated under the expanded Foreign Employees Dormitory Act (FEDA). Since then, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has completed inspections on 60 CTQs to ensure they comply with the FEDA licensing conditions. Around half of them were found to have minor lapses and they have been promptly rectified by the operators. No major lapses have been uncovered. MOM will complete the inspection of all the remaining CTQs by end 2023. Prior to the expansion of FEDA, all CTQs were inspected when they were approved to be set up to ensure that they meet the regulations of the various agencies, such as fire safety and proper sanitation. Subsequent inspections were also conducted to ensure that the living conditions, safety and well-being of residents in the CTQs continue to be satisfactory under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act. In recent years, all CTQs have been inspected at least twice per year. MOM had taken enforcement action against 28 CTQ operators in the past five years for failing to meet requirements.”
“I refer the Members to the reply that was provided in Parliament on 3 July 2023, to related Parliamentary Questions on the Workplace Fairness Legislation. [Please refer to "Progress and Impact of Proposed Workplace Fairness Legislation and Support Measures Available", Official Report, 3 July 2023, Vol 95, Issue 105, Oral Answers to Questions section.]”
“Singapore Food Agency (SFA)'s "Guidelines on Ordering Catered Meals for Functions and Events" is a guiding document to encourage consumers to engage caterers licensed by SFA with good hygiene track records. SFA conducts inspections of licensed caterers to ensure that they meet the regulatory requirements prescribed by SFA. For instance, all catered food, including pre-packed meals, from licensed caterers are required to be delivered in insulated boxes and time-stamped to indicate the date and time by which the food should be consumed. In line with SFA Guidelines, dormitory operators licensed under the Foreign Employee Dormitories Act must ensure that catered food is procured from licensed caterers and take reasonable measures to ensure that food delivered is protected from contamination until it is collected by the residents, such as setting up proper food storage and collection points. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) conducts regular inspections on dormitories to ensure that they put in place food safety measures. Issues specific to licensed caterers will be referred to SFA for further investigation. MOM will and has taken appropriate enforcement action against dormitory operator or employer for serious or recalcitrant cases. Dormitory residents with food-related issues can approach MOM’s Forward Assurance and Support Team officers or report the issues via the FWMOMCare mobile application.”
“We are watching this closely to ensure that the CPF interest rate pegs remain relevant in the prevailing operating environment while taking into consideration the longer-term outlook. We will continue to review CPF interest rates periodically. As the HDB concessionary loan rate is pegged to the CPF OA interest rate, any changes to the OA interest rate need to be carefully considered, given the implications on the Housing & Development Board (HDB) borrowers.”
“As explained in my previous response to Parliamentary Questions filed by Mr Henry Kwek and Mr Louis Chua, Central Provident Fund (CPF) interest rates are pegged to returns on investments of comparable risk and duration in the market. As Ordinary Account (OA) savings can be withdrawn at any time for home purchases, servicing mortgage loans or other specified purposes, such as investment, the OA interest rate peg is pegged to the three-month average of the three local banks' savings deposit and 12-month fixed deposit interest rates, subject to the legislated minimum interest of 2.5% per annum. Other interest-bearing products, such as deposits with conditional interest rates, are not comparable to the OA as they are contingent on customers fulfilling other criteria, such as spending on credit cards or crediting of salary. Over the past two decades of protracted low interest rate environment, the Government had continued to pay the 2.5% floor rate on OA monies. On top of that, the Government continues to pay 1% of extra interest on the first $60,000 of members' combined CPF balances, as well as an additional 1% extra interest on the first $30,000 of post-55 members' combined CPF balances. Beyond the interest paid on CPF, the Government also provides other support for Singaporeans to boost their retirement savings. This includes the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) scheme where lower-wage workers receive a portion of the Workfare payments in their CPF, and the Matched Retirement Savings Scheme where eligible seniors receive matching CPF top-ups from the Government. We are aware that the OA pegged rate has remained relatively stable amidst the current elevated interest rate environment.”
“We review the Employment Act regularly together with our tripartite partners the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC). The last round of amendments to the Employment Act were passed in 2018. We will consult our tripartite partners on the next review of the Employment Act to ensure that it remains up to date.”
“The taskforce, which comprises representatives from Tripartite Partners and mental well-being experts, has developed five preliminary recommendations relating to employment support for persons with mental health conditions and improving mental well-being in workplaces. These recommendations range from improving mental well-being support systems and work-life harmony strategies for all employees to improving employment support services, training and job opportunities for persons with mental health conditions. To foster a positive work atmosphere and reduce the stigma associated with mental health, the Taskforce will be partnering employers and senior management to increase awareness and adoption of mental health resources, and enhance support networks and assistance, such as through the Employee Assistance Programmes. The Taskforce is refining these recommendations, following our extensive public consultation conducted last year. We aim to release the National Strategy for mental health and well-being by the end of this year.”
“Measuring mental well-being in the workplace is not straightforward as mental well-being is a continuum, ranging from normal to at-risk to being diagnosed with a mental health condition. There are also multiple factors that can affect an employee's mental well-being. To support organisations in assessing their employees' state of mental well-being and identifying workplace stressors, the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Institute under the Ministry of Manpower, in partnership with the WSH Council, Institute of Mental Health, Health Promotion Board and Changi General Hospital, introduced the iWorkHealth tool in 2021. This is a free online, self-administered tool, comprising validated psychosocial tools and scales that have been tested to ensure reliable results. Based on iWorkHealth data collected in 2022 from a relatively small sample of around 11,500 employees, one in three employees was found to have experienced work stress or burnout from work. We will need to expand the usage of iWorkHealth and monitor the trend over time in order to draw meaningful insights from these numbers. We are working with Tripartite Partners, including Trade Associations and the Singapore National Employers Federation, to promote the use of the iWorkHealth tool. I urge all employers to tap on iWorkHealth to assess and strengthen your employees' mental well-being. The Government set up the Interagency Taskforce on Mental Health and Well-being in 2021 to oversee the development of a national overarching mental health and well-being strategy.”
“I think there are a myriad of reasons why people store their passwords on the phones, in their notepads and so on. There are also members who write it down somewhere in a booklet and they put it at home. I cannot tell you how members will want to store their passwords to remind themselves. But I think the added measure today, first of constantly educating our public to not download any form of innocuous-looking apps from unauthorised stores, unauthorised sites and also to not just switch on the accessibility services; and at the same time, not release details to someone who is unknown over the phone and at the same time adding on the additional security verification through the Singpass Face Verification step, I think it is sufficient for us to prevent, today, unauthorised withdrawals from the CPF account. Of course, I said that there are also parallel initiatives to deal with what happens after the money goes into the banking account. So, there are all these measures that we are doing. I would not want to be in a position of hubris where we say that we have got it all figured out. Because today, cybersecurity constantly evolves – scammers and hackers are getting more and more creative. So, we have to constantly work at nudging our people, working with one another to keep reminding all of our members, all of our citizens to always be vigilant. At the same time, the Government will also constantly find new ways to step up our precaution to protect our members. I hope that gives you the reassurance.”
“I thank Mr Gerald Giam for his question. Perhaps, Mr Giam may not have an appreciation of the different steps that these scammers sort of would navigate to actually get the CPF members to download these apps. Today, the vulnerability appears to be in the Android phones and generally our members may have just gone online, whether it is on Facebook or some other form of social media, and come across some particular app which purportedly gives him a steep discount; a very, very good deal, in which they have to download that particular app. And once they download the app, they will, more often than not, get phone calls from someone helping them to navigate and to use the app. And they then hand over some of the navigational options to this and turn on the accessibility services on their Android phone itself. That then exposes themselves to all these scammers to then undertake and take over their information. So, the added precautionary measure that we have put up is that for vulnerable members, they would need an additional step of using the Singpass Face Verification. We have these identities stored, because the NRICs, the passports, we have that. Based on our records, we can then ensure that the person who is logging in and making these withdrawals actually corresponds to the actual member and not through some scam account. So, we believe that, today, that added step, which to some members cause a lot of inconvenience, is sufficient as a precautionary measure. I hope that addresses your concern.”
“I thank Assoc Prof Lim for his question. Indeed, we are considering that part of it. This is under the Shared Responsibility Framework, which involves the financial institutions, the telcos and many other participating entities. Currently, the Government is engaging very closely with all the different industry stakeholders and we will continue to do so. There is a plan for a public consultation paper to come out in the third quarter of this year. So, I suggest that perhaps, at that particular point in time, we can delve deeper into the details. [Please refer to "Clarification by Minister for Manpower", Official Report, 4 July 2023, Vol 95, Issue 106, Correction By Written Statement section.]”
“I thank the Member for his supplementary question. For the demographics of the victims – the victims are between the ages of 55 and 80. Based on investigations, the net loss of CPF savings amounts to $124,000. From the CPF safeguards, there are the additional precautionary measures that we have now undertaken, even though we constantly monitor many of these scams because they get very creative. Thus far, we think that it is sufficient to effectively limit the convenience in terms of the withdrawal of monies from the CPF accounts to their own bank accounts. I understand that the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) – with GovTech, the banks and also SPF – are separately working on a parallel initiative to see how to protect banking customers from allowing unauthorised withdrawals from their bank accounts. So, there are two parallel tracks here. From the CPF Board's perspective, the additional steps that we have put in as a precautionary measure, allowing the member to separately require Singpass Face Verification, is an added step. And some members would inevitably say that that has resulted in a lot more inconvenience for them to withdraw their amount. But we think that this is actually necessary to protect their hard-earned monies. For the separate track, that would probably require a separate Parliamentary Question with regard to the banking relationships with the account holders; how the steps have been effective in limiting withdrawal or unauthorised withdrawal from these banking accounts.”
“We should update our phones regularly with the latest security patches and we should only download apps from official app stores and exercise the greatest of caution when we are prompted to turn on accessibility services. These accessibility services are mainly meant to assist users with disabilities to use their devices, such as by allowing apps to read and control your screen. As a further precaution, CPF Board and GovTech have introduced additional authentication measures since 22 June 2023 to increase the protection for CPF members. Members may be asked to perform Singpass Face Verification (SFV) or other checks when accessing CPF e-services. This provides additional security in addition to the existing two-factor Singpass authentication required for accessing CPF e-services. Members who require assistance on CPF services and the SFV can visit the CPF service centres and Singpass counters respectively. They may also call the Singpass helpdesk. These additional safeguards may make it slightly less convenient for members to perform certain CPF e-services but I think members would agree that it is better to be safe than sorry. This is especially so in light of new threats. The Government will continue to review and monitor these threats closely and work closely alongside the banks to introduce more precautionary measures where necessary. The Police will spare no effort in tracking down those responsible for such malware incidents and will take tough action against them. I urge anyone with information on such crimes to contact the Police immediately.”
“Mdm Deputy Speaker, my response to this Parliamentary Question will also address the Parliamentary Question filed by Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim as a written Parliamentary Question for yesterday's Sitting. Since January 2023, the Police received more than 700 reports of victims having downloaded malware onto their phones, with more than $8 million worth of savings lost through unauthorised withdrawals from the victims' bank accounts and so on. Based on the investigations thus far, nine of these cases involved unauthorised Central Provident Fund (CPF) withdrawals, amounting to a net loss of $124,000 in CPF savings. I would like to add that the ninth case did not result in loss of CPF savings. So, even though nine involved unauthorised CPF withdrawals, the ninth case itself did not result in the loss of CPF savings because the Singapore Police Force (SPF) managed to stop the transfer out from the bank account of the CPF member. CPF monies were paid from members' CPF accounts to their own bank accounts and then they were subsequently withdrawn from these bank accounts by the scammers. The modus operandi of these malware-related scams has been extensively covered in an earlier joint advisory from the Police, Government Technology Agency (GovTech) and CPF Board on 29 June 2023. In gist, the victims downloaded malware-infected Android Package Kits, or APK, from unauthorised sites and they subsequently turned on accessibility services when told by the scammer to purportedly facilitate the purchase of items at a steep discount. Doing so allowed the scammer to take full control of the phone, steal banking and Singpass credentials stored in the phone and perform unauthorised CPF log-ins and withdrawals. I urge all Singaporeans to stay vigilant.”
“All medical certificates, medical leave of absence, so long as they are issued by a licensed medical practitioner in Singapore, will be recognised. So, I hope that answers the Member's earlier point. I will move on to answer the hon Member of Parliament Mr Melvin Yong's question.”
“Madam Speaker, can I just take this opportunity because I raised my hand? I wanted to answer Assoc Prof Jamus Lim's point.”
“The Tripartite Committee on Workplace Fairness is still considering the issue and will release its recommendations in due course.”
“The Ministry of Manpower will be addressing the issue of malware-related scams in Parliament on 4 July. [Please refer to "Safeguards to Prevent Loss of CPF Savings Through Malware-related Scams", Official Report, 4 July 2023, Vol 95, Issue 106, Oral Answers to Questions section.]”
“In the last three years, an average of about 2,800 employers per month, or 1.75% of all active employers, failed to make the correct amount of Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions promptly, that is, more than one month after the expiry of the grace period. The CPF Board (CPFB) has put in place measures to detect CPF non-compliance by employers. This includes an automated system to detect employers who fail to make CPF payments by the deadline each month. In addition, CPFB conducts proactive audits targeted at employers in higher-risk industries and firms to check the accuracy of CPF paid by the employers. These measures are complemented by investigations on reports lodged by employees or whistleblowers. Common reasons for late CPF payments by employers include administrative lapses, such as missed deadlines, failure to ensure sufficient funds for bank deduction as well as cash flow issues. Some employers also fail to make the correct CPF contributions because they have a wrong understanding of their obligations under the CPF Act. For instance, some employers may not be aware of the wage components that are subject to CPF contributions. For these cases, CPFB conducts campaigns and outreach to educate employers on their obligations. CPFB also imposes late payment interest and, in some cases, a composition amount to ensure that employers make accurate and timely CPF contributions. Further enforcement actions, including prosecution, may be taken against egregious employers. Most employers eventually make good on their CPF obligations for their employees.”
“The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) only tracks the rental rates for commercial dormitories licensed by MOM and not the cost of other types of migrant worker accommodation. MOM also does not have other business expenditure data related to hiring foreign manpower. The median monthly rental rate of new contracts signed for commercial dormitory beds was $420 per worker in the first quarter of 2023, compared to about $280 in the first quarter of 2019. The significant increase in rental rates is due to inflationary pressure on operating costs and strong demand for dormitory beds resulting from employers hiring more foreign workers as the economy recovers from COVID-19. The Government has worked with the industry to increase dormitory bed supply with the addition of nearly 17,000 beds since December 2022. However, the number of foreign workers in the Construction, Marine and Process sectors as of May 2023 was 18% higher than pre-COVID-19 levels and 35% higher than in January 2022 in the early days of the economy reopening. This is a significant increase and increased dormitory bed supply has not kept up with the demand surge. We urge employers to adopt productivity measures to reduce their reliance on foreign workers or consider applying to build construction temporary quarters and factory converted dormitories to house their workers. This will ease the pressure on accommodation costs.”
“All employers are required by law to provide six days of paid childcare leave to employees if their children are under seven years of age and are Singapore Citizens. Employers are also required to provide six days of unpaid infant care leave per year in addition to the six days of paid childcare leave. The Tripartite Standard on Unpaid Leave for Unexpected Care Needs recognises employers that go beyond these statutory requirements and voluntarily offer up to four weeks of unpaid leave per year to any employee whose child is below the age of two and are born pre-term, with congenital conditions or as part of multiple births. We do not track the utilisation of unpaid infant care leave.”
“As mentioned in my earlier reply in March this year, the Ministry of Manpower and the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board are currently reviewing the rules relating to automatic revocation of a CPF nomination. We understand that the Ministry of Law is also reviewing the rules relating to automatic revocation of wills in the Wills Act 1838. We will provide an update when ready. Starting from April 2023, CPF Board has reached out to members who experience a change in their marital status, including divorces, to consider making a new CPF nomination. This is in addition to reminders in their annual statement of accounts to review their nominations and make a new one, if required, so that it is up to date.”
“The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) officers regularly inspect dormitories regulated under the Foreign Employee Dormitories Act. These inspections cover measures to ensure food safety and hygiene, such as ensuring that cooking areas within dormitories are clean and well-maintained. Dormitory operators must only cater food from licensed sources and take reasonable measures to ensure that the delivered food is protected from contamination until it is collected by residents, such as setting up proper food storage and collection points. Dormitory operators must also ensure that non-refrigerated food storage facilities are designed to keep out pests. Dormitories that do not meet these requirements are required to rectify the lapses immediately. MOM will take appropriate enforcement actions against errant dormitory operators. Dormitory residents with food-related issues can approach MOM’s Forward Assurance and Support Team (FAST) officers or report the issues via the FWMOMCare mobile application.”
“I thank the hon Member for his feedback. In short, the answer to his suggestion is yes, we will certainly take his feedback back to MOM as well as work with the different sector agencies to consider and to review. But I think it is important, as I have mentioned earlier in my response, to note that we will continue to refine the NTS OL framework. And we have to also be mindful in terms of balancing our longer-term objective to spur industry transformation towards productivity-led and manpower-lean growth, so that we can also make sure that we nuance to build a fit local employment outcome as well as the industries' manpower needs. For the aerospace industry, it is indeed a growing space and it is also quite sector-specific and also quite specialised. I would request for the Member and encourage the Member to also engage the Economic Development Board (EDB) and EDB would then work with MOM. The other point is that for firms, like what the hon Member has shared, if they are able to do ambitious investments, they have ambitious innovation and also broadly increased internationalisation activities, they can also tap on the Manpower for Strategic Economic Priorities (M-SEP) scheme which is administered by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and we will certainly consider giving them time-bound flexibility to help all of these firms seize new opportunities. I hope that addresses the Member's question.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, the seven occupations on the Non-Traditional Source (NTS) Occupation List were carefully selected in consultation with sector agencies. We evaluated occupations with a significant number of S Pass holders who may be affected by the upcoming changes in the S Pass framework. We also assessed the number of locals in these occupations as well as the local employment outcomes. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will work closely with sector agencies to engage the industries as well as our tripartite partners to review the list every three years. We are open to reviewing it more regularly, keeping in mind, above all, the need to uplift our lower-wage workers and also to spur industry transformation to become less reliant on lower-skilled foreign workers.”
“Companies may refer to the WSH Guidelines on Managing Heat Stress for more detailed guidance. The number of work-related heat disorder cases remain relatively low, at five or less cases yearly in the past five years. MOM will continue to monitor the situation closely.”
“With the rising temperatures due to climate change, heat stress management has been a growing area of focus for workplace safety and health (WSH). During the hotter months of the year, typically between May and September, referencing forecasts by the Meteorological Service Singapore, inspections on heat stress management is part of the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM's) routine inspections. These include checks on whether there are heat stressors that put workers at risks and what on-site measures companies have put in place to manage heat-related risks and hazards, such as the provision of shaded areas and access to water facilities. In addition to a focus on heat stress management in routine inspections, MOM also conducts targeted inspections on heat stress to check not just onsite measures but also workplace management system and programmes in place including (a) acclimatisation programmes for newly assigned workers; (b) adequate water intake through supervised and scheduled hydration sessions; and (c) training of workers on symptoms of heat injury and early reporting to supervisors if they are feeling unwell. In 2022, targeted inspections on heat stress were conducted at 497 worksites and enforcement actions were taken against 25 companies. Another round of targeted inspections will be conducted this year. MOM and the WSH Council regularly engage industry, such as through the upcoming Heat Stress Forum this month, to remind companies to put in place mitigating measures to protect workers against heat stress, especially those involved in outdoor work activities. Employers are also encouraged to use the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature meter to assess heat stress risks at the workplace.”
“Companies under the Household Services Scheme (HSS) pilot that provide basic elder-minding services must ensure that their workers have completed relevant elder-minding training or passed the competency assessment recommended by the Ministry of Health and the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC). HSS workers providing such services are to be equipped with basic eldercare skills, such as how to safely support the elderly in activities of daily living and assist them with simple exercises. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and AIC are monitoring the take-up rate of the elder-minding training courses and will expand the training capacity if needed. At the moment, MOM has no plans to expand the scope of HSS to include care services for individuals with special needs who require more specialised care. Such households can consider existing home-based care programmes run by various Social Service Agencies, such as the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore. Households which need more information on care options for persons with disabilities can contact SG Enable.”
“Jobseekers who require assistance can tap on WSG's suite of employment facilitation services and programmes, several of which provide enhanced support for the long-term unemployed and older workers. In particular, WSG's Career Conversion Programmes (CCPs) help jobseekers to reskill for in-demand growth jobs and provide higher support of up to 90% of salary costs for employers who hire candidates that are long-term unemployed or aged 40 and above. CCPs have supported over 35,000 locals from 2018 to 2022 and the results have been encouraging. About nine in 10 CCP participants remained employed 24 months after embarking on the programme, and about six in 10 earned more than their last drawn salaries.”
“Prior to COVID-19, the annual average resident long-term unemployment rate (LTUR) was 0.7% from 2018 to 2019. Resident LTUR rose to 1% in 2020 and 2021 as a result of the economic downturn due to the pandemic. It has, however, since recovered to 0.7% in 2022. Singapore's resident LTUR remains relatively low compared to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average of 2.6%1. Long-term unemployment is mainly structural, with the top job search difficulty cited being mismatches in skills and qualifications. In particular, older workers aged 50 and above are disproportionately affected by long-term unemployment, with an LTUR of 1% in 2022. We are proactively tackling the problem of skills obsolescence to reduce the chances of workers falling into long-term unemployment, and these measures have been effective in keeping the LTUR low. It starts with ensuring that everyone has a strong start through access to quality education and supporting lifelong learning through a strong SkillsFuture ecosystem. We also publish the Jobs Transformation Maps, which are detailed sectoral manpower studies mapping out the impact of technology and digitalisation over the medium-term, to identify opportunities for employers to transform their jobs and upskill their workers for these transformed job roles. Employers can tap on various Government programmes for business and workforce transformation, such as Workforce Singapore's (WSG's) Support for Job Redesign under Productivity Solutions Grant. Employers can also partner with the National Trades Union Congress to establish Company Training Committees for additional support in their transformation journey.”
“As a new Tripartite Standard launched in April 2021, the number of companies that adopted the Tripartite Standard on Work-Life Harmony (TS-WLH) has increased from 500 at the end of 2021, to 1,200 at the end of 2022, covering about 317,000 employees. Employers that adopt TS-WLH would be better able to distinguish themselves as part of their talent attraction and retention strategies and we hope more employers would adopt TS-WLH in time to come.”
“Under Part 4 of the Employment Act, employers must provide one rest day per week and compensate workers who work on their rest days. Rate of pay for work on rest day is one day's basic salary if the request is made by the worker and two days' basic salary if the request is made by the employer. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) does not track the number and type of such arrangements. Between 2020 and 2022, the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) handled about 535 claims from Work Permit holders each year regarding non-payment or short payment of salaries for work done on rest days. Ninety-five percent were resolved through mediation while the rest were referred to the Employment Claims Tribunals. MOM also investigated complaints on rest day pay, including referrals from TADM, for an average of 68 Work Permit holders each year. As a majority of these employers failed to pay due to administrative oversight, wrong calculations or financial difficulties, MOM took an educational approach towards these employers to increase awareness of their employment obligations and to help them rectify their employment practices. Sterner enforcement actions were taken against employers of about 7% of the affected workers where severe breaches of the Employment Act were detected.”
“In the past two years, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) inspectors came across a total of nine dormitory operators that did not put in place measures to ensure food delivered was protected from contamination until it was collected by the residents for consumption. In all instances where measures were not put in place, dormitory operators took immediate action to make the needed improvements after MOM inspectors had instructed them to do so. This includes designating fully sheltered drop-off points to place food storage boxes. No enforcement action was needed. Dormitory residents with food-related issues can approach MOM's Forward Assurance and Support Team officers or report the issues via the FWMOMCare mobile application. MOM will follow up with the relevant dormitory operator or employer to rectify the issues. In serious or recalcitrant cases, MOM will take and have taken appropriate enforcement action.”