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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“The Basic Retirement Sum (BRS) is meant to provide CPF members with monthly payouts in retirement that cover basic living expenses. Among active CPF members who turned age 55 in 2021, about 33%, or 13,300 members, had yet to set aside the cohort's BRS. Of these, about 30% are expected to accrue additional contributions through employment from age 55 so that they could receive similar payouts at age 65 as those who had set aside the cohort BRS at age 55. The other members may have lower total lifetime CPF contributions which means they could be eligible for the Silver Support Scheme1. The Silver Support Scheme, which covers a third of all seniors aged 65 and above, provides quarterly cash supplements of up to $900 in addition to their CPF payouts and other forms of Government support such as the Workfare Income Supplement. Members who have not met the prevailing BRS may also be eligible for matching top-ups from the Government under the Matched Retirement Savings Scheme, which was launched in 2021. Many seniors also receive additional retirement support from their loved ones, from their private savings, and by unlocking the value of their housing assets through the Lease Buyback Scheme or Silver Housing Bonus. Members can also choose to start their CPF payouts later, up to age 70, to receive higher payouts. It is difficult to project the BRS attainment 10 or 20 years from now with meaningful accuracy as members' CPF balances could change significantly due to multiple reasons, such as contributions from employment income or voluntary top-ups. Nevertheless, BRS attainment has been improving and this is expected to continue in the next few years.”
“The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) publishes the median gross monthly income from work in our annual reports on the Labour Force in Singapore. It is sensible to examine the trend of wage growth over a longer period of time, instead of annually, as the annual numbers are sometimes subjected to wider fluctuations. The real annualised change in median gross monthly income from work (including employer CPF contributions) of full-time employed residents by age is provided in Table 1.”
“Over the last five years, the percentage of SEPs who did not keep up with MediSave contribution obligations based on declared incomes1 stayed at around 25%. Over the same period, slightly more than half of these SEPs had less than $3,000 in outstanding MediSave liabilities each year. In 2020, the Government piloted the Contribute-As-You-Earn (CAYE) scheme with a small group of SEPs who contract with the Government, to help them meet their MediSave obligations by making small and regular contributions as they earn. Almost all the SEPs in this group participated and made CAYE contributions. Following the pilot, the Government is studying the feasibility of extending the CAYE scheme to SEPs in the private sector.”
“With the reopening of borders, the number of Work Permit Holders (WPHs) in the construction sector has been growing steadily, with inflows exceeding outflows, and is almost 100% of pre-COVID-19 levels. While the number of workers on home leave has been growing, we expect this trend to taper off and reverse in the coming months. The proportion of basic skilled and higher skilled WPHs in the construction sector has remained largely the same as pre-COVID-19. It is unlikely that inexperience was a contributory factor for the recent spate of workplace fatalities as all the accidents involved workers with at least two years of working experience. From preliminary investigations of recent incidents, most were due to preventable safety lapses. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has been stepping up enforcement, taking stronger enforcement actions and introducing new measures to mitigate the risk of workplace injuries and fatalities. But more needs to be done by all stakeholders, including company leaders and workers. In this regard, I would like to refer the Member to the response MOM provided to a similar question raised by Mr Melvin Yong and Ms Joan Pereira in last month's Sitting. [Please refer to "Reasons and Countermeasures for Recent Rise in Workplace Incidents", Official Report, 04 July 2022, Vol 95, Issue 63, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]”
“In 2021, there were 4,848 salary claims and 922 dismissal claims lodged at the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management. About a quarter of the salary claims and 40% of the dismissal claims were lodged by managers and executives. In 2021, there was only one case of a wilful employer that refused to make full payment for salary arrears despite having the means to do so. This case is pending prosecution.”
“The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) shares the Member’s concerns regarding the safety of food delivery platform riders. While food delivery platforms may want to incentivise riders to take on more orders, this must not be at the expense of safety and health, especially given the inherent risks of being on the road. There are existing efforts by the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council to guide industry road safety practices for companies, such as through circulars to emphasise their safety duties. The WSH Council is working with platform companies to review work processes to enhance the safety of platform workers on the road to prevent accidents, including food delivery platform riders. More details will be shared when ready. There have also been campaigns to raise awareness among workers on safety measures and tips to prevent accidents. For example, the WSH Council published its Guide to Safe Riding in March 2021, which highlights the risks that delivery riders face and provides good practices that they can adopt to keep safe on the roads. In parallel, the Advisory Committee on Platform Workers is looking to strengthen protections for platform workers, including financial compensation in case of work injury. Work is ongoing and is expected to be completed by the second half of 2022.”
“I thank Mr Liang for his supplementary question. The CPF Board automatically reviews a senior's eligibility for Silver Support every year. The main reason for seniors becoming ineligible usually could be due to a combination of reasons. It could be due to increases in their household monthly income per person, which is a broad indicator of the level of household support which is available to the senior. In many of these circumstances, the senior's financial situation has actually improved. For those seniors who no longer qualify for Silver Support in the following year, they will be notified in the preceding year – in December of the preceding year. For instance, if the senior no longer qualifies for Silver Support for 2023, they will receive notification in December 2022. To the Member's suggestion about stepping down, seniors who are no longer eligible for Silver Support will receive two tranches over two quarters of a stepdown Silver Support payment to help ease their transition out of the scheme. Having said that, the CPF Board also considers appeals. When seniors find that notwithstanding the support that has been withdrawn, they are not able to be able to transition appropriately, we are prepared to consider each appeal. 3.06 pm”
“If Members have suggestions on how the Silver Support eligibility criteria can be better communicated, we are happy to take these comments on board and we are happy to look into them as well.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, the Silver Support Scheme provides quarterly cash supplements to seniors who had lower incomes during their working years and now have little or no family support in their retirement. Lifetime wages, housing type and the level of household support are used to decide who is eligible. MOM reviews the Silver Support Scheme regularly and enhanced the scheme last year. First, we have raised payouts for recipients by 20%. Second, we have expanded the thresholds for lifetime wages and household monthly income per person to cover more seniors. We have also added a new payout tier that provides a payout to seniors with household monthly incomes per person above $1,300 but not exceeding $1,800. With the enhancements, the number of Silver Support recipients has increased from one in five seniors in 2020, or about 150,000 seniors, to one in three seniors this year, or about a quarter of a million or 250,000 seniors. Total Silver Support payouts have also nearly doubled from $330 million in 2020 to $600 million per year today. Seniors do not need to apply for Silver Support. They are automatically assessed annually, and the payouts are directly credited into the senior's registered bank account or sent to the senior's registered address via a cheque. Currently, all seniors who are eligible for Silver Support in any given year are automatically notified by the CPF Board in December of the preceding year. For newly eligible recipients, the notification letter contains an accompanying infographic which explains the qualifying criteria in all four vernacular languages. We also disseminate information on Silver Support through Community Centres and Silver Generation Ambassadors who are trained to explain the scheme to seniors during their house visits.”
“While findings from the dipstick survey conducted by the NUS team may not be indicative of a larger problem at the workplaces, we would, nonetheless, take those findings into account in augmenting our own survey of employees’ awareness of their employment rights as well as the relevant outreach programmes. We will do this in collaboration with our tripartite partners, NTUC and SNEF, as well as other organisations with similar goals.”
“MOM’s programmes to safeguard and uplift employment standards are targeted at both employers and employees and comprise education and enforcement to ensure compliance with employment laws. Our key programme in this area is the Workright initiative launched in 2012 by MOM and the CPF Board. To ensure employees’ awareness of their rights, the Workright initiative engages both employers and employees through numerous media channels, roadshows in the heartlands and published resources, such as the Guide on Employment Laws and Employer’s Toolkit in different languages. MOM has been regularly tracking the effectiveness of employee education through post-Workright campaign surveys. In recent years, we have found that awareness of basic employment rights, such as monthly salary payment, monthly overtime limit, overtime pay rate and rest day, has been high, at over 70% among lower-wage workers aged 18 and above. Since the beginning of this year, we have also started collaborations with ITEs and Polytechnics to reach new workforce entrants. To complement the broad-based education of employers and employees, MOM also conducts around 5,000 Workright inspections yearly to check on compliance with the employment laws. These inspections of workplaces not only helped employees receive their due entitlements but also raised their awareness of employment rights. Employers found to have lapses will be referred to Employment Act training courses while stronger enforcement actions are taken against errant employers to deter future breaches.”
“The minimum qualifying salary for S Pass holders is regularly updated to keep pace with local wage growth, so as to ensure a level playing field for our locals. It was raised to $2,500 in October 2020 and will be raised to $3,000 from September 2022, with further updates in September 2023 and September 2025. Older candidates will continue to be required to have a higher salary to qualify for an S Pass. Existing S Pass holders who have come in under a lower qualifying salary earlier would need to meet the prevailing qualifying salary in order for their S Pass to be renewed. As of December 2021, there are 161,800 S Pass holders. The median monthly salary1 of S Pass holders is $3,100. Nearly all S Pass holders earn a monthly salary of $2,500 or more. Other than the qualifying salary requirement, S Pass holders are also subjected to levies and quotas, which vary by sector.”
“The table below provides the number and share of PMET1 jobs accounted for by Work Permit Holders over the past five years. Work Permit holders account for a very small minority of PMET jobs. In addition, Work Permit holders are subject to quotas and levies to regulate their numbers, which vary by sector. Work Permit holders are also required to go for six-monthly medical examinations and face marriage and pregnancy restrictions. Their employers are also required to meet additional conditions, including source restrictions and security bond requirements.”
“EP applications need to score 40 points to qualify for an EP. Small firms with fewer than 25 PMET employees will score 10 points, by default, on the two firm-related criteria on Diversity and Support for Local Employment. This is because the workforce ratios for these two criteria are not meaningful for firms with a relatively small number of PMET employees, as the ratios are easily skewed by small changes in their personnel. Hence, it is more reasonable to give such firms a default score on these firm-related criteria. However, these same firms will still need to score another 20 points on the individual-level or bonus criteria. This ensures that their EP candidates are of sufficiently high quality and complementary to our local workforce. Moreover, as these small firms grow over time, they will, subsequently, be held to the same requirements as other firms on the firm-related criteria. Therefore, they will still have an incentive to build up a strong local workforce and diverse foreign workforce. I hope this helps to explain why the threshold used to determine small firms under FCF and COMPASS is different. It is not because one scheme is more lenient than the other, but because the underlying rationale is different. The treatment for small firms under FCF and COMPASS is designed to take into account the circumstances of such small firms and ensure that our policies do not affect them disproportionately. Ultimately, it is in our interest to ensure that we have a conducive environment for both local and foreign startups to anchor themselves in Singapore and to scale up, creating more job opportunities for locals.”
“The Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) sets out requirements for all employers in Singapore to consider the workforce in Singapore fairly for job opportunities. One requirement of FCF is the job advertising requirement. Employers must first advertise on MyCareersFuture and fairly consider all candidates, before submitting an Employment Pass (EP) or S Pass application. This is intended to promote fair employment practices and improve labour market transparency. In comparison, the Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS) is a holistic points-based assessment which, together with the EP qualifying salary, ensures that EP holders are of sufficiently high quality and complement our local workforce. That is how both the FCF and COMPASS work together to safeguard good employment outcomes for locals. As the FCF job advertising requirement and COMPASS impact small firms in different ways, the thresholds for small firms are also different under these two policies. Let me elaborate. Small firms with fewer than 10 employees are exempted from the FCF job advertising requirement. This is for pragmatic reasons. We recognise that micro-sized firms have limited resources and are mindful of the administrative burden of various rules and regulations on such firms, notwithstanding the good intentions. The job advertising requirement is only one part of FCF. Exemption from the job advertising requirement is not the same as exemption from the FCF. All employers are still expected to practise fair consideration and merit-based hiring, as set out in the Tripartite Guidelines for Fair Employment Practices. MOM will investigate all complaints of unfair hiring practices, regardless of the size of the firm in question. COMPASS has four foundational criteria and two bonus criteria.”
“The deployment of Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) technology is a key enabler to detect and prevent workplace accidents. Based on an MOM survey of companies in December 2021, approximately seven in 10 businesses have implemented WSH technology solutions. Companies can tap on the Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG) to adopt pre-approved digital solutions. As of June 2022, more than 500 small and medium-sized enterprises have tapped on PSG to adopt technology solutions that facilitate the improvement of WSH standards at their workplaces. Examples of these solutions include the electronic Permit-To-Work (e-PTW) to control selected high-risk work activities, such as working at heights, to ensure safe execution of work onsite; and Fleet Safety Management solutions to improve situational awareness of drivers and warn of collision risks. PSG provides up to 70% grant support, capped at $30,000, for these solutions. While the correlation between the adoption of technology solutions and workplace accidents varies, depending on the particular technology solutions and industry-specific risk factors, we have some promising results. For example, we found that the adoption of Fleet Safety Management solutions resulted in 93% fewer fatigue episodes by driver, and 58% fewer potential collisions. MOM has and will continue to work with Government Procurement Entities to incorporate suitable WSH technologies into public sector tender specifications. MOM will also continue to work with employers, industry associations, technology vendors, research institutes and other Government agencies to promote effective WSH technologies to create safer workplaces.”
“We will continue to review our policies to help Singaporeans strengthen their retirement adequacy.”
“A member who turns 55 in 2027 and is on the CPF LIFE Standard Plan can receive close to $1,850 per month, for life, by setting aside the Full Retirement Sum, and close to $2,700 per month, for life, by setting aside the Enhanced Retirement Sum. Members can also choose the CPF LIFE Escalating Plan, which starts with lower payouts but will see payouts increase by 2% every year. On retirement adequacy goals for seniors, it is important to note that seniors are likely to have a combination of means to fund their retirement, of which, CPF is a component. The others include private savings, family support and housing monetisation, such as the Lease Buyback Scheme and Silver Housing Bonus Scheme. Nonetheless, BRS attainment is one indicator for basic retirement adequacy. Eight in 10 active CPF members turning 55 in 2027 are expected to have enough savings to receive at least the BRS payout, up from 67% in 2021. The Government introduced the Matched Retirement Savings Scheme in 2021 to incentivise members and their loved ones to top up the Retirement Account of eligible members who have yet to meet the prevailing Basic Retirement Sum. For seniors who require further support to meet their retirement needs, targeted assistance is available. For example, eligible seniors receive up to $900 a quarter to boost their retirement income under the Silver Support scheme. We will continue to help seniors strengthen their retirement adequacy by enabling them to earn more and save more. In particular, the Tripartite Workgroup on Older Workers laid out a long-term roadmap to raise the retirement and re-employment ages and increase CPF contribution rates for older workers. This provides flexibility for seniors who want to work longer to do so and enables seniors to save more while they work.”
“In 2014, the Government set up a CPF Advisory Panel to study possible enhancements to the CPF system. The Panel was led by Prof Tan Chorh Chuan and comprised academics, financial industry practitioners and community representatives. The Panel was asked to recommend how the CPF system could better cater for the varied interests and needs of members. Some members wanted the ability to withdraw more CPF savings as a lumpsum, some wanted higher monthly payouts in retirement and some wanted monthly payouts that increase over time. The Panel affirmed that the priority is for the CPF to focus on what is needed for members to receive lifelong payouts that cover a basic level of retirement expenses. For this purpose, the Panel took reference from the lower-middle retiree household expenditure and factored in long-term inflation as well as some increase in the standard of living in setting the Basic Retirement Sum or BRS. The same factors were considered in setting the annual increase in BRS at 3.5% for members turning 55 in 2023 to 2027. These members experienced strong GDP growth during their working years. They were among the first to benefit from a mature and well-established CPF system, consistently high employment rates and strong wage growth. The latest BRS adjustments translate to higher monthly payouts to help these members tackle the rise in expenses due to long-term inflation and higher standards of living. The BRS payout will rise to close to $1,000 per month for the cohort turning 55 in 2027, up from close to $850 per month for the 2021 cohort. Members can receive larger payouts if they set aside more CPF savings for retirement.”
“Migrant worker dormitories are required to satisfy the requirement on ventilation provision as prescribed in the Building Control Regulations, administered by the Building and Construction Authority, during the construction of the dormitories. Under the Foreign Employee Dormitories Act, dormitory operators are also required to provide adequate fans to achieve good air circulation and ventilation in the dormitory rooms. As part of the improved standards for new migrant worker dormitories announced by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in September 2021, the number of migrant workers residing in each dormitory room has been reduced to 12 or fewer per room with more space per worker. With more space in each dormitory room, adequate fans and windows can be installed for improved ventilation. Migrant workers can approach MOM’s Forward Assurance and Support Teams (FAST) who are deployed to the dormitories to engage workers on their overall well-being, if they face any heat issues in their dormitory rooms. Based on previous feedback, FAST had worked with dormitory operators, employers and residents to resolve this, such as through providing more fans. Migrant workers with sleep-related or heat-related concerns can visit MOM’s medical centres for migrant workers for primary care consultation, treatment and support if required. A small number have reported heat or sleep related complaints at the medical centres in 2022, comprising less than 0.1% of the migrant workers in dormitories.”
“Since the launch of the Workcare Grant in May 2021, there have been 26 applications, of which five have been approved and the remaining are being assessed. A total of $46,000 were committed to support the five applications to set up or improve seven rest areas, at $3,000 to $8,000 for each rest area. These projects would benefit around 120 outsourced essential services workers. Most of the grant applications were made from the start of 2022, as some building owners had to delay plans to set up or improve rest areas due to COVID-19 restrictions in 2021, and hence are still being assessed. NTUC U Care Centre, which administers the Workcare Grant, has conducted engagement sessions, sent direct mailers, and advertised in the media to reach out to more building owners, service buyers and employers of outsourced essential services workers to apply for the Workcare Grant.”
“Any employee, local or foreign, who feels that he or she has been mistreated or exploited should approach MOM for assistance.”
“Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP) and LTVP+ holders who are foreign spouses or unmarried children (under 21 years old) of Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents are eligible for Letters of Consent (LOCs) or Pre-Approved LOCs (PLOCs) to work in Singapore. LOC applications are made by the employer and LOC holders can only work for the employer specified in the LOC. PLOC holders can work in most jobs and the employer only needs to notify MOM at the start of employment. From June 2021 to May 2022, there were about 1,500 PLOC notifications and approved LOC applications on average each month. The LOC applications are assessed on their own merits and are not prioritised based on industry. LTVP PLOC/LOC holders enjoy the same rights and protection as other employees under the Employment Act, including timely payment of salaries, paid annual leave, and paid sick leave. Employers are also required to issue them with key employment terms (KETs) which would clearly set out items such as the employees' job title, main duties and responsibilities, start date, duration of employment if on fixed-term contract, working arrangements such as working hours, salary details, leave entitlements, medical benefits, probation period and notice period. Employees hired without formal contracts or KETs are still protected under the Employment Act. To raise awareness and to ensure that employees do not hesitate to report mistreatment by employers, MOM and partner organisations have stepped up efforts via digital and social media platforms to educate the public to understand their rights and the available avenues for recourse, including when to file a report with MOM. More information, such as the channels of reporting and the "Guide on Employment Laws", can be found on the MOM website.”
“The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) does not collect data on the number of migrant domestic workers (MDWs) who suffered work-related injuries. The nature of domestic work makes it difficult to determine whether an injury sustained in the household was due to work-related activities. However, under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, employers are responsible for the basic well-being of their MDWs who work and live in their households. This includes paying for the medical expenses that their MDWs incurred in Singapore, regardless of whether the illness or injury arises from work. Employers of MDWs are also required to purchase a personal accident insurance (PAI) plan for their MDWs with a sum assured of at least $60,000 per year. The PAI provides compensation to the MDW or her family if she suffers from permanent disability or passes away due to an accident, regardless of whether it is work or non-work related. MOM does not have claims data on the payouts to MDWs as employers purchase the PAI from insurers.”
“Making a CPF nomination allows members' monies to be distributed more promptly and to beneficiaries in accordance with members’ wishes upon their demise. 21% of the 23,500 members who passed away in 2021 had not made a CPF nomination. Among members who are alive, older members are understandably more likely to have made a nomination. Only about 25% of members aged 65 and above have not made a CPF nomination compared to about 65% among those aged between 16 and 64. Of the members aged between 16 and 64 who have not made a nomination, the majority of them are below 44 years old. Unlike for age, we do not observe sharp differentiations in nomination rates by gender and ethnicity. The CPF Board will continue their efforts to encourage members to make their CPF nominations. These include raising members’ awareness through public education and making the nomination process more convenient by allowing members to do so online.”
“Table 1 shows the number of work injury compensation claims in the past five years made by delivery employees, who are entitled to work injury compensation from their employer under the Work Injury Compensation Act. The figures do not include delivery riders who work as self-employed persons. There was a change in reporting methodology in 2020 and so the claims numbers before 2020 cannot be directly compared with those after. We have shown two sets of numbers in Table 1. The first applies the pre-2020 methodology across all the years, where no significant trend is observed. The second presents the numbers as reported from 2020 based on the new methodology. The Workplace Safety and Health Council is working with delivery companies, which includes delivery employers and platform operators, to review work processes to enhance the safety of delivery workers on the road to prevent accidents, including employees and self-employed persons. In addition, the Advisory Committee on Platform Workers is looking at strengthening financial protection in case of work injury for platform workers, including delivery persons who are self-employed. More details will be shared when ready. The Ministry only tracks the lump sum compensation for work injury cases resulting in Permanent Incapacity and fatality. The median lump sum compensation awarded to delivery employees for Permanent Incapacity, which includes fractures, sprains and cuts, are at Table 2 below. There were no work injuries resulting in fatality, as indicated in Table 1. The Ministry does not track claimants’ work arrangements (e.g. part-time or on flexi-work arrangements).”
“The use of technology has intensified across all sectors of the economy, most notably in manufacturing and financial services. While there are no clearly defined boundaries, the tech sector generally refers to the Information and Communications (I&C) sector. There were 128,900 residents employed in the I&C sector in Singapore as of March 2022. The Government is monitoring the recent global trend of tech restructuring and layoffs. Thus far, retrenchments in our I&C sector have remained low. 260 residents were retrenched in the last two quarters, i.e. 4Q 2021 to 1Q 2022, which is comparable to the number of residents retrenched in 4Q 2019 to 1Q 2020, prior to the Circuit Breaker. Over the same period, the number of residents employed in the sector continued to increase, and grew by 6,800. Hiring demand has also remained strong, with job vacancies in the I&C sector having risen from 8,400 in September 2021 to 10,800 in March 2022. We are mindful that hiring demand and employment growth in the I&C sector may moderate given the increasing challenges in the macro-economic environment, with tech firms making layoffs globally. Nonetheless, as businesses continue to digitalise, there will still be demand for workers with digital skills across the economy. We will continue to invest in our I&C workforce to ensure we remain nimble to seize new opportunities. The Taskforce for Responsible Retrenchment and Employment Facilitation led by Workforce Singapore (WSG) will proactively reach out to retrenching firms to offer employment assistance to affected workers. This includes provision of information and career resources, and career coaching services offered by WSG and NTUC’s e2i.”
“From October 2021 to June 2022, 12 work injury compensation claims have been filed for injuries sustained by employees while working from home. Nine have been admitted as work injuries and two are being assessed. One claim was rejected as it was assessed not to be work-related.”
“Mental health first responders are equipped to spot signs of mental distress and common mental health conditions, provide initial support to their co-workers, and subsequently guide the person in distress to seek relevant professional help. Today, organisations can already tap on the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council’s Total WSH Programme, which provides free mental well-being workshops to equip workers with basic mental health first aid competencies. Since January this year where Total WSH providers have started to offer mental health first responder courses, around 60 participants have attended the training. We will continue to promote the adoption of this course, especially with the easing of COVID-19 measures in the year ahead. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) does not set specific targets on the number of workers trained as mental health first responders. Instead, we encourage and guide companies to adopt mental well-being initiatives that are most suited for their organisation’s needs, including the provision of mental well-being training.”
“We are committed to strengthening our WSH framework to make managements and boards more accountable for WSH safety, enhancing our training and capability support, and tightening our enforcement regime including stronger penalties and debarment for unsafe companies. I urge all companies to take time to review your WSH processes, use the WSH Alerts on the learning points from recent fatalities to reinforce the importance of safety to your workers, and implement the necessary control measures. MOM together with the WSH Council, will continue to work closely with industry associations, employers and workers.”
“MOM is also looking to institutionalise pre-start assessments, such as weekly site coordination meetings and daily toolbox meetings to coordinate works across sub-contractors, eliminate incompatible works, highlight potential hazards and implement control measures. Given that technology is an enabler to detect and prevent workplace accidents, MOM has been working with Government Procurement Entities to include suitable WSH technologies as part of the specifications for some public sector’s construction tenders. Companies are strongly encouraged to implement WSH technologies, such as surveillance cameras or closed-circuit television. Ensuring workplace safety and health requires the concerted effort of all company leaders and workers. MOM, together with the WSH Council, National Trade Union Congress and industry partners had earlier called for an industry Safety Time-Out for companies to review their WSH management systems, including risk assessments, risk control measures, and relevant WSH training, and for companies and workers to learn from the recent fatal accidents. The WSH Council also works closely with industry associations and companies, particularly SMEs, to strengthen their risk management processes through the bizSAFE programme. To date, more than 40,000 SMEs have benefited from the programme. MOM and the WSH Council will do more to engage SMEs to build up their WSH capabilities. We have made good progress on WSH from a decade ago, reducing workplace fatal injury rate from 2.1 per 100,000 workers in 2012 to 1.1 per 100,000 workers in 2021. As at end 2021, we were on track to meeting our WSH 2028 workplace fatal injury rate of less than 1.0 per 100,000 workers, achieved by only four OECD countries. These are high standards that we set for ourselves.”
“Today, safety is part of the evaluation criteria for public sector’s construction tenders and some public sector developers also disqualify contractors with poor work practices. We are developing a harmonised disqualification criteria across all public sector’s construction tenders to disqualify contractors with poor work practices. We are also reviewing the current demerit points system to take a tougher stand on breaches under the WSH Act or Regulations to debar errant contractors from participating in public sector contracts and from hiring foreign employees. I encourage the private sector and members of the public to also shape your procurement policies to hire firms with strong safety track records, by checking firms’ WSH performance on CheckSafe on MOM’s website. MOM will continue to step up its inspections at worksites and impose harsher penalties on companies with poor workplace safety and health performance. Between January and June 2022, MOM conducted more than 3,500 inspections in the higher-risk sectors such as Construction, Marine and Manufacturing, 35% more than the same period last year. MOM took enforcement action for more than 9,000 breaches under the WSH Act and Regulations, and issued more than 50 Stop Work Orders, a two-fold increase compared to the same period last year. Since 14 June 2022, MOM has introduced stiffer penalties such as doubling the composition fine quantum, and requiring companies that have been issued Stop Work Orders or have had major injuries to engage external auditors to conduct a thorough review of their WSH processes. To strengthen WSH practices on the ground and improve WSH oversight, MOM is reviewing the coverage of WSH personnel such as WSH Auditors, Officers and Coordinators.”
“Around 84% of inspections conducted following reports of unsafe acts in the past 12 months resulted in enforcement actions taken, including fines and stop work orders. All workers, including migrant workers, are strongly encouraged to report unsafe workplace conditions or acts to their supervisors or employers, or directly to MOM. Workers may also approach union leaders or NGOs such as the Migrant Workers Centre, who will work with their employers to make the appropriate rectifications or direct the feedback to MOM for follow up. The identities of whistle blowers are kept confidential. Employers are also not permitted to dismiss or threaten to dismiss workers who have reported workplace safety and health issues and MOM will take action if they are reported to have done so. Employers must do their part, as required under the law. MOM has been taking stronger enforcement actions and has introduced stiffer penalties against errant employers, which includes fines and/or imprisonment for company leaders. For example, earlier this year, Leedon National Oxygen Ltd was fined $340,000 for failing to take measures to ensure the safety and health of its employees at work, while its CEO and its former director in charge of safety were each fined $45,000. To strengthen WSH ownership and accountability of company leaders, MOM is developing a new Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) for Company Directors’ WSH Duties, to provide clarity and practical guidance on how to fulfil their legal obligations. Companies’ compliance to the ACOP or lack thereof can be used by the Courts to take action against company leaders and its board of directors in the event of a WSH Act offence. The Government takes a strong position on safety in its procurement.”
“In the first six months of 2022, there has been a worrying spate of 28 workplace fatalities, compared to 17 during the same period in pre-COVID 2019. Falls from heights and vehicular incidents alone accounted for half of these fatalities. Based on the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM) preliminary investigations, most of these accidents were due to preventable safety lapses such as inadequate control measures or lack of adherence to safe work procedures. 80% of fatalities this year occurred in industries with higher-risk work settings, with 10 fatalities in Construction, five in Transport and Storage (T&S), and four each in Marine and Manufacturing respectively. While these accidents happened across companies of different sizes, majority had occurred in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). All of the accidents involved workers with at least two years of working experience and therefore inexperience is unlikely to be a contributory factor. For cases where other co-workers were involved, all of the co-workers had at least three years of working experience. Over the past five years, MOM received around 2,400 to 3,800 reports a year on unsafe acts in workplace from various channels such as the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) hotline, eFeedback on MOM’s website and referrals from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and unions. These reports were mainly made by members of the public and complainants who chose to remain anonymous. MOM takes every report seriously. MOM assesses each feedback, inspects the workplace where needed, and ensures that the company makes the required rectifications. Where egregious lapses are found, MOM takes enforcement actions against the company.”
“Amongst firms hiring at least one employee, around 20% have a foreign PMET share of 30% or more. Out of firms that have a single foreign nationality comprising at least 25% of its PMET employees, 3% hire 25 or more PMET employees and 97% are small firms that hire fewer than 25 PMET employees. This is similar to the share of small firms in the overall economy. However, it should be noted that the workforce ratios of small firms are easily skewed by their small base. Of these small firms where a single foreign nationality comprises at least 25% of its PMET employees, the median number of PMET employees is two. In a firm with two PMET employees, if there is one Singaporean and one foreigner, the share of foreigners from a single nationality would already be 50%. Therefore, it is not meaningful to look at the distribution of small and large firms in this way.”
“As of April 2022, around 6,400 workers in short-term COVID-19 roles, such as Safe Distancing Ambassadors and vaccination centre workers, were employed by the public sector, Government-funded institutions or private sector medical service providers. Around 1,200 of these workers will be redeployed into longer-term roles, but the other 5,200 will be looking for new jobs when their contracts end over the coming months. Workforce Singapore (WSG) and NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute (NTUC's e2i) are providing employment facilitation support. Employers who are interested to consider these workers can reach out to WSG and NTUC's e2i.”
“The Employment Act stipulates that employees are entitled to a statutory minimum of seven days of annual leave in their first year of service if they have worked with their employer for at least three months. With each year of service, an employee's statutory annual leave entitlement increases by one day, up to a minimum entitlement of 14 days. In 2021, about 17% of full-time employees had worked for their current employer for less than a year and were entitled to the statutory minimum of seven days of annual leave, although some may receive more from their employers. The mean and median incomes1 of these employees were about $4,700 and $3,500 per month respectively.”
“As outlined in Minister Lawrence Wong's Ministerial Statement in February 2022, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the banks are looking to introduce further measures for significant changes to their accounts, such as fund transfers that are large relative to their overall balances. CPF Board will review these safeguards regularly to ensure that they are effective and aligned with industry practices, where applicable. Citizen vigilance is imperative in the fight against scams. Members should take necessary precautions to guard against potential scams when they receive unsolicited calls and refrain from giving away their Singpass or Internet banking credentials. CPF Board staff are also trained to assist members to respond to scam cases. When in doubt, always verify the authenticity of the information with CPF Board through multiple online and offline channels.”
“CPF Board takes a serious view towards safeguarding members against scams. At the same time, CPF Board recognises that we should not unnecessarily inconvenience members for the vast majority of transactions that are legitimate. This is why we do not impose any daily withdrawal limits or thresholds. However, CPF Board will only pay to a member's bank account after verification that the bank account belongs to the member. CPF Board has put in place several measures to give members greater peace of mind against illegitimate transactions. First, before any CPF withdrawals are authorised, CPF Board authenticates the identity of the person making the withdrawal request to ensure that he or she is the owner of the CPF account involved. This is done by verifying against the member's identification card for face-to-face requests or through the use of Singpass two-factor authentication for online requests. Second, CPF members receive a notification via email or SMS for any withdrawal of CPF monies from their accounts. Members are encouraged to update their latest mobile number or email address via the CPF website by logging in with their Singpass, so they do not miss out on such notifications. Third, CPF Board verifies that a bank account, indeed, belongs to the member before making any payment. CPF Board's safeguards are in line with existing practices in the financial industry such that banks do not impose limits for transactions between verified accounts held by the same person within the same bank.”
“The current configuration of public holidays in Singapore has been in place since 1968. Our calendar of public holidays reflects our multi-religious and multicultural society. This approach has served us well. There are, currently, no plans to review the number of public holidays.”
“Based on preliminary MOM administrative records, there were around 23,900 new EPs and S Passes issued in Q1 2022. This is comparable to around 25,200 new EPs and S Passes issued in Q1 2019, pre-pandemic. Overall, the total number of EP and S Pass holders was 329,100 as at March 2022, remaining significantly below the pre-COVID-19 level of 393,700 in December 2019, as a result of border restrictions dampening the inflow of foreign manpower over the past two years. All EP and S Pass applicants have to meet MOM's prevailing eligibility criteria before their passes can be issued. This includes the EP qualifying salary, as well as the S Pass qualifying salary, levies and quota. In September 2022, the EP qualifying salary and S Pass qualifying salary and levies will be raised. These moves are part of MOM's regular updates to ensure that our framework keeps pace with local wage growth, so that foreigners are not coming in just because they are cheaper than local PMETs. From September 2023 onwards, EP candidates must also earn sufficient points under the new Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS) to qualify for an EP, to allow for a more holistic evaluation of complementarity. MOM will not apply the new criteria ahead of these timelines. To do so would be unfair to businesses. The point of announcing these changes early and phasing them in gradually is to provide businesses with time to plan ahead and adjust. As businesses hire EP and S Pass workers ahead of the above timelines, they should also keep these upcoming changes in mind, so that their new hires will be able to meet the renewal criteria in the future.”
“The number of local part-time workers in F&B services remained stable at around 35,000, on average, over the last five years, of which about 15% were students. Part-time work can benefit both employers who need the manpower and workers who will not only earn an income but can also gain work experience for the future. In conclusion, we expect labour market tightness to ease in the coming months as non-resident employment rebounds following significant relaxation of border restrictions. However, COVID-19 has underscored the importance of building resilient businesses. This is all the more important, given the uncertainties in the global geo-political and economic environment. Over-reliance on foreign workers will leave businesses open to and vulnerable to disruptions. Therefore, I strongly encourage employers facing manpower shortages to utilise all the available support to press on with efforts to transform and become more manpower-lean, while tapping on the available sources of local workers that still exist to build up their local manpower core.”
“First, employers should look to hire workers who were employed in short-term COVID-19 roles, such as Safe Distancing Ambassadors and vaccination centre workers, the same group that Dr Wan Rizal, Ms Yeo Wan Ling, Mr Liang Eng Hwa and Mr Sharael Taha have asked about. Around 6,400 of such workers were employed as of April 2022 by the public sector, Government-funded institutions or private sector medical service providers. Around 1,200 of these workers will be redeployed into longer-term roles, but the other 5,200 will be looking for new jobs when their contracts end over the coming months. WSG and NTUC's e2i will be providing employment facilitation support. Employers who are interested to consider these workers can reach out to WSG and NTUC's e2i. Many of these workers came from the F&B and Retail sectors and would, thus possess the relevant skill sets, as well as experience. Second, employers can also consider hiring trainees who have gone through various attachment and training programmes under the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package. There are 9,800 trainees who are still undergoing these programmes as at end February 2022, and they, too, will be looking for jobs in the near future. The Jobs Taskforce, which I chair, is working with sector agencies to place these trainees into suitable roles which make use of the industry-relevant skills and experience gained through the programmes. Third, employers can also tap on a larger pool of local manpower by providing flexible work arrangements, including flexitime, flexi-place and part-time work. Mr Leong Mun Wai also asked about the number of local part-time workers in F&B services for the last five years and the proportion who were students.”
“We will also continue to support our businesses to transform and to improve job quality to attract and retain local workers. For example, MTI recently announced the $70 million Food Services and Retail Business Revitalisation Package. In the cleaning sector, NEA has also been working with cleaning companies to adopt technologies, such as autonomous floor cleaning scrubbers and robotic solutions, to free up workers to meet the added demand for disinfection work. So, basically, MOM and MTI will work closely with TACs to study further ways to support both the retail and F&B sectors in terms of how to support their manpower needs in the immediate term. We will also nudge and continue to support our businesses to hire locals. We have extended the Jobs Growth Incentive to September 2022 to support the hiring of mature local workers who are not in work for at least six months, persons with disabilities and ex-offenders. Employers can receive up to $21,600 per eligible hire over a 12-month period. There are also other pathways in which employers can tap on, such as the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme, and attachments under these pathways will allow employers to provide mature candidates with on-the-job training and evaluate their job-fit. On top of that, the Government will also be disbursing the Small Business Recovery Grant (SBRG) from June this year and this provides $1,000 per local employee, up to $10,000 per firm. Our efforts are paying off. I am encouraged to see that many businesses have been able to build up their local workforce to meet their manpower needs. Overall, resident employment grew by 71,300 in 2021 and the resident unemployment rate has recovered to pre-COVID-19 levels and there continues to be opportunities to hire more local workers.”
“Most recently, we announced the removal of entry approval requirements for all pass types, including Work Permit holders in the CMP sectors. The number of CMP Work Permit holders in Singapore reached a two-year low in October 2021 but has since grown strongly by more than 40,000 to reach over 90% of pre-pandemic numbers. Our businesses now have fuller confidence to bring their work pass holders into Singapore and the recent reopening of the Singapore-Malaysia land border should also further ease the labour market tightness in the months to come. Mr Yip Hon Weng, Ms Poh Li San, Mr Sharael Taha and Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked what the Government is doing to enable Singapore to reopen our economy and reconnect with the world. MOM is working with MOT, MTI, STB and CAAS closely to provide targeted support for the tourism and aviation industries with additional foreign worker quotas on a time-limited basis, to ensure that they can quickly rebound and capture the opportunities. Mr Yip Hon Weng also asked about efforts to promote local employment. Government agencies are also working closely with industry and unions to promote good jobs and ramp up local hiring. For example, STB partnered NTUC, NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute (NTUC's e2i), WSG and key trade associations and chambers (TACs) to launch the Tourism Careers Hub in January 2022. This hub facilitates job matching of local candidates with the tourism sector. It supports the upskilling of workers to meet evolving demands, as well as drives transformation efforts. CAAS is working with aviation firms to recall former employees and expand hiring. Both CAAS and STB have lined up recruitment activities, such as career fairs, in the next few months.”
“As economic recovery gains momentum, we recognise that some segments of the economy may find it challenging to fill job vacancies amidst the tight labour market. In my reply, I will be addressing the questions that Members of this House have asked about these manpower shortages, as well as the longer-term job opportunities of workers employed in short-term COVID-19 roles. To Ms Poh Li San's question, the Construction, Marine Shipyard and Process (CMP) they are the hardest hit as they rely most heavily on migrant workers. As Ms Joan Pereira, Ms Yeo Wan Ling, Mr Sharael Taha and Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin have pointed out, our industries, such as food services, cleaning, retail, tourism and aviation, that were affected by safe management measures and international travel restrictions are also facing a manpower crunch now as they rebuild their manpower with the reopening. There also continue to be many vacancies in outward-oriented industries, such as information and communications, and financial services. A significant part of the manpower crunch that we are experiencing today is, in large part, due to the impact of COVID-19. The balance, albeit a smaller part, is due to cyclical reasons. In the last two years, our non-resident workforce declined sharply as businesses were battered by the pandemic. However, while demand is recovering, border restrictions had dampened the regular inflow of foreign manpower. The Government has taken steps to resume the inflow of foreign workers to ease the manpower crunch and we, progressively, lifted border restrictions from late last year. Since then, non-resident employment growth had increased in the fourth quarter of 2021 for the first time in two years and picked up pace in the first quarter of 2022.”
“Mr Speaker, may I seek your permission to take Question Nos 18 to 25 together?”
“The number of local PMEs in Singapore is based on data collected via the Labour Force Survey. MOM started collecting data on respondents’ place of birth from 2010 onwards, hence, this data is not available for the period of 2005 to 2009. Based on the available data, the majority of local PME growth over the last 10 years, that is, from 2010 to 2020, went to Singaporeans who were born in Singapore. This is also the case for local PMET growth. This means that foreign-born individuals who obtained citizenship or permanent resident status at any point in time before end-2020 accounted for less than half of the increase in the number of local PMEs and local PMETs over the last 10 years.”
“As of 27 March 2022, 98.4% of the total workforce have been vaccinated whilst the number of local and foreign employees who had not taken any vaccine dose has fallen considerably to 36,900. Data on the number of unvaccinated employees who have ceased employment since the Workforce Vaccination Measures came into effect in January 2022 will only be available in mid-2022.”
“As mentioned in MOM's response to Question No 3 for written answer on the Order Paper for 11 March 2022, it is advisable that if work on a rest day is routinely scheduled, such agreement should be captured in writing to avoid disputes. Employees are entitled to withdraw consent at any time. It would be impractical to require employers to always obtain written consent, as business needs can be fluid and work on a rest day may not always be routinely scheduled. In these cases, verbal consent from the employee would suffice. Any employee who is being compelled to work on his rest day, without consent, should approach MOM for further assistance.”