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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“Our energy market is now being tested by unprecedented shocks and volatility in the global energy markets. Nevertheless, we are committed to ensuring that Singapore's power supply remains secure and reliable, and to supporting our vulnerable customers during this period. My only exhortation and urging is for all consumers to use energy prudently and to adopt energy conservation as a way of life. We will also learn from this episode to see how we can strengthen and fortify our energy reliance, resilience and our electricity market. And I am confident that, together, we will emerge from this stronger.”
“An electricity price correction was, therefore, unavoidable and the current global energy crunch has precipitated and exacerbated this correction. Again, Members of this House would have asked what help is, therefore, available for the affected businesses. Household and small consumers which need help with their electricity bills can apply to SP Services for instalment payment plans. Businesses which need financing support can also make use of ESG's programmes, such as the Temporary Bridging Loan and Enterprise Financing Scheme SME Working Capital Loan. The 11,000 or so business accounts without a long-term retail contract bear the brunt of the electricity crunch. To help them weather the storm, EMA has worked with gencos and electricity retailers to reduce the volatility and lower the cost of buying electricity through TRECS, additional monthly contracts offered by gencos, and on the wholesale market for businesses, as I had mentioned earlier. For example, Sembcorp Power Pte Ltd is offering one-month fixed price plans at preferred rates to consumers with average monthly consumption of between four and eight MWh. EMA will also continue to monitor closely market developments, including heightened geopolitical tensions and their potential impact on global energy prices, and put in place the necessary measures to secure our energy supply, enhance stability and ensure the orderly functioning of the market. Mr Speaker, Singapore has an open and competitive electricity market where prices will rise and fall depending on demand and supply conditions and developments in the global energy market. Over the last 20 years, our energy market has served us well. Our electricity supply is one of the most reliable and price-competitive amongst major developed cities.”
“To help these businesses, EMA worked with the generating companies, or gencos, to offer monthly fixed price plans under the Temporary Electricity Contracting Support Scheme, or TRECS for short, in January this year – that is, last month. The TRECS plans were fully subscribed for January. For the month of February, the initial offering of TRECS was also fully subscribed. In response to requests for more such contracts, EMA worked with gencos and electricity retailers to offer about 645 megawatts of TRECS and other plans with significant fixed price components. At least 200 megawatts of the contracts are still available and we are extending TRECS for March, April and May. We encourage all consumers without a retail plan to consider taking up these contracts for greater certainty. Mr Speaker, let me now turn to the issue of electricity prices. Singapore imports all of our energy and cannot be fully insulated from developments in the global energy market. Well, let me make a correction – Singapore imports a vast majority of our energy, not all of our energy. We still have some from solar. The higher fuel prices feed into our electricity bills to reflect the higher costs of electricity production. As I had mentioned during the Committee of Supply debates last year, we had been enjoying artificially low electricity prices for several years due to an over-investment in capacity and fuel by the gencos. I have also alluded to the fact that that was also below the cost of generating electricity; and thus, it was not sustainable. In fact, if Members of the House remember, I also put up a chart that clearly demarcated and showed that the cost of generation was higher than the cost of the electricity tariffs at that time.”
“Mr Speaker, the world has been facing a global energy crunch since September last year. The price of LNG, or spot Liquefied Natural Gas, rose significantly and remains elevated at more than three times the levels as at the start of 2021. While our piped natural gas (PNG) supply typically helps to moderate the impact from higher LNG prices, there was a series of disruptions and planned depletions to our PNG supply since the second half of 2021. This confluence of factors has resulted and caused increased volatility in wholesale electricity prices. Since October 2021, EMA, or the Energy Market Authority, has implemented a set of measures to enhance Singapore's energy security and stabilise SWEM, or Singapore Wholesale Electricity Market, prices. Nevertheless, some market participants were adversely affected by the volatility. Between October and December 2021, six electricity retailers exited the market and another two retailers prematurely terminated some of their customers' contracts. As a result, about 9% of all electricity consumer accounts were affected. All affected households and businesses with an average monthly consumption of less than four megawatt hour (MWh) can switch to Singapore Power's regulated tariff at any time. Some businesses consuming four MWh or more managed to secure plans with other retailers. There remains about 11,000 business consumer accounts – accounting for about 1% of consumers – which have to buy electricity directly from the Singapore Wholesale Electricity Market, or SWEM, and are thus exposed to more volatile electricity prices.”
“Singaporeans who have renounced their citizenship and left the country, as well as permanent residents who have returned to their respective home countries, are strongly encouraged to close their CPF accounts, as their intention is not to retire in Singapore. The CPF Board reminds these members to do so through various channels, including the CPF Board website and targeted notifications. Upon closure of their CPF accounts, their CPF LIFE policy would generally be terminated. Prior to account closure, monies within the CPF system will continue to receive the same treatment as all other CPF monies, including prevailing CPF interest rates.”
“There are currently no mortgage loan products for HDB flats based on Islamic financing. If financial institutions approach relevant authorities to allow the use of CPF for such products, the CPF Board and authorities will assess such proposals, taking into consideration the need to protect CPF members’ retirement savings.”
“The tripartite partners strongly support the nation’s effort to vaccinate against COVID-19. In response to the extension of the National Vaccination Programme to children aged five to 11, the tripartite partners have updated their advice to encourage employers to provide paid time-off to employees for their children’s vaccination. This should include any mandatory observation period post vaccination if the vaccinations are done during working hours, as well as looking after their children if they experience some side effects. This is in addition to flexibilities that employers are already encouraged to offer when their employees take their vaccination against COVID-19. Such moves have contributed to the very high vaccination rate amongst the workforce of 98%. Throughout this pandemic, employers have been responsible and supportive of their employees, despite COVID-19 measures imposing significant costs and challenges on businesses. The Ministry has in the past responded to calls by Members to create more types of leave for various bespoke needs, by cautioning against adding further burden on businesses. Instead, the tripartite partners support moves towards greater flexibility in working arrangements, which do not compromise the ability of businesses to compete. That employers and workers have come through the last two years of COVID-19 without the need for excessive regulation or litigation, but with a sense of unity, cohesion and focus on the long-term, should give us confidence that our tripartite approach is on the right track.”
“We continue to see more employees come forward to be vaccinated. As of 2 January 2022, the number of employees who had not taken any vaccine dose has fallen to 48,000 from the 52,000 reported on 19 December 2021. Only a very small number of 140 (~0.3%) were certified to be medically ineligible for COVID-19 vaccination. The tripartite partners have issued guidance to employers on the possible measures for employees who are affected by the Workforce Vaccination Measures (WVM), such as allowing these employees to work from home or redeploying them to a job that could be performed from home. In particular, tripartite partners agreed that termination of employment should be a last resort. Ground sensing from the tripartite partners indicate that the vast majority of employers will continue to engage their affected employees. This is very much in the spirit of support and care that employers have shown throughout this crisis. Employees who need assistance to transit to other jobs may tap on the existing career matching services offered by Workforce Singapore (WSG) and NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute (e2i). However, employment opportunities may be limited for those who are not vaccinated but are medically eligible, as they cannot enter the workplace. Aside from livelihoods, we are even more concerned about the risks to lives if these employees remain unvaccinated. As mentioned by the Ministry of Health, non-fully vaccinated persons who are infected with COVID-19 are more than seven times more likely to become critically ill in ICU compared to those who are fully vaccinated, and 12 times more likely to die. Therefore, we strongly encourage the medically eligible but unvaccinated employees to make the decision to be vaccinated as soon as possible.”
“Migrant domestic workers (MDWs) enter via the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL), mainstream lanes with Stay Home Notice (SHN) and industry-led initiative. Construction, Marine-Shipyard and Process (CMP) workers enter primarily through industry-led initiative with tightened end-to-end safe management processes, as well as the mainstream lane with SHN. Once they arrive in Singapore, the CMP workers enter an onboarding program which will incorporate the applicable SHN, medical screening, vaccination verification and settling-in program. The number of CMP workers entering through these two channels are determined in consultation with the lead agencies for these sectors and takes into account the needs of the industry and onboarding capacity. Most CMP workers have ceased entering via VTL after 23 December 2021.”
“Since the launch of the MyCareersFuture (MCF) portal in 2018, the number of active local users has been growing steadily, from 109,000 in 2018 to 288,000 in November 2021. The number of seniors aged 55 and above using MCF is much smaller, but has grown at a quicker pace from 8,000 in 2018 to 24,000 in 2021. Workforce Singapore (WSG) continues with efforts to raise awareness and usage of the MCF job portal among jobseekers. This includes advertising through channels such as Google, Facebook and other social media platforms. The MCF portal is one of several channels that are available to jobseekers. Jobseekers who require assistance to navigate the MCF portal or prefer to talk to a career ambassador or coach can approach WSG’s Careers Connect and NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute (e2i). The 24 SGUnited Jobs and Skills Centres located in every HDB town have also brought career matching services closer to senior jobseekers in the heartlands. Nearly one in five jobseekers placed into jobs by WSG and NTUC’s e2i are seniors.”
“The PWMs will continue to set the pace for many sectors as more PWMs are implemented in 2022 and 2023. The Government will also be enhancing the Workfare Income Supplement Scheme. Lower-wage workers of all occupations currently receive cash and CPF top-ups of up to $4,000 a year from Workfare. As announced by the Prime Minister at National Day Rally 2021, the Government will be raising Workfare payouts for all recipients from 2023. More details will be announced at Budget this year. In addition, the Progressive Wage Mark would provide an additional incentive for their employers to pay them Progressive Wages where applicable, as employers will be publicly recognised as progressive employers. The Government will also take the lead to require its suppliers to obtain the PW Mark.”
“Last year, the Government accepted the recommendations by the Tripartite Workgroup on Lower-Wage Workers to expand Progressive Wages to more sectors and occupations, and to require employers hiring foreign workers to pay all their local workers at least the Local Qualifying Salary (LQS), which is currently $1,400. These measures will start from September 2022 onwards, and will cover 234,000 or eight in 10 full-time lower-wage workers. Of the remaining 50,000 lower-wage workers not covered by Progressive Wages or LQS, 27,000 of them already earn $1,4001 or more a month. For those who earn less than $1,400 a month, the vast majority are employed in firms with less than 10 employees. These firms include small family operations such as hawker stalls and heartland shops. Only about 2,0002, or less than 1% of all full-time lower-wage workers, earn less than $1,400 a month and are employed in firms with 10 or more employees and do not hire foreign workers. The Member has asked how the wages of this group of workers would be uplifted. As outlined in the report of the Tripartite Workgroup on Lower-Wage Workers, and reiterated in the Ministry’s parliamentary response in September 2021, this group of workers should nevertheless still see meaningful increases in their wages over time due to market forces, as wages of other lower-wage workers increase. For example, with the recently announced enhancements to the Cleaning and Security PWMs, entry level cleaners will see cumulative wage increases of up to 84% from 2022 to 2028, and receive baseline wages of about $2,400 by then. For entry level security officers, they will see cumulative increases of up to 56% and receive a baseline wage of about $3,500 by 2028.”
“The Member has also proposed that regular medical check-ups be used to determine if a worker can continue to work. If adopted, his suggestion would again create uncertainty in the employment prospects of senior workers as employers may then terminate their employment due to health reasons. In fact, the Tripartite Workgroup on Older Workers was concerned that workers could be unreasonably denied re-employment if medical check-ups are not applied judiciously. Tripartite partners agreed that employers are to presume that their senior workers are medically fit to work, and that there is no need to send a worker for medical check-ups unless he or she shows signs of being medically unfit for the job. This agreement and guidance are documented in the Tripartite Guidelines on the Re-employment of Older Workers. On the Member’s other query about whether the retirement age can be prescribed based on the nature of the job, this approach is currently adopted in certain situations which has more to do with regulatory requirements. These ages are all lower than the statutory retirement and re-employment ages. The retirement and re-employment ages is still the most effective way to maintain employment of seniors. This is borne out by facts – Singapore’s average effective retirement age has risen over the past 20 years at a rate faster than the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the employment rate of those aged 55-64 has increased from 67.6% in 2019 to 69% in 2021. The employment rate of those aged 65 and above has also increased from 27.6% in 2019 to 31.7% in 2021.”
“MOM does not specifically track the provision of medical benefits for employees aged 65 and above. However, based on a 2019 MOM survey, most employers (~98%) do provide some form of medical benefits for their employees. About half of employers provided inpatient benefits to their resident workforce, via a mix of medical insurance, direct monetary reimbursement, or additional MediSave contribution. The remainder provided outpatient benefits only, or various medical benefits on a case-by-case basis. About 2% did not provide medical benefits. As our workforce ages, employers’ healthcare costs are expected to increase. Furthermore, with MediShield Life providing lifetime protection against large hospitalisation bills and selected costly outpatient treatments for all Singaporeans, an employee could have duplicate insurance coverage if his employer also provides insurance. The Tripartite Workgroup on Older Workers therefore recommended in 2019 that employers restructure medical benefits from insurance schemes to the Portable Medical Benefits Scheme, or PMBS, where employers provide additional contributions to their employees’ MediSave accounts. These additional contributions can be used by employees to pay for their MediShield Life premiums, or purchase their own insurance plans on top of MediShield Life. This reduces duplication of coverage for employees while making healthcare costs more predictable and sustainable for employers. Most importantly, it safeguards the employability of senior workers. Otherwise, employers would be less amenable to employ senior workers on account of their health. To support employers to implement PMBS, the Government grants them a higher tax deduction limit for medical expenses incurred for employees.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic has cost lives and disrupted livelihoods globally. With the emergence of the Delta and the more transmissible Omicron variants, the risks of COVID-19 transmission are even higher today. Vaccination remains one of the most effective means of reducing transmission of COVID-19 and lowering the risks of severe illnesses or deaths. There are currently about 48,000 workers in Singapore who have not yet taken any vaccine dose, the large majority of whom are medically eligible. Our Workforce Vaccination Measures (WVM), where only vaccinated workers can return to the workplace, will help to protect unvaccinated individuals and make our workplaces safer, minimising disruptions to businesses. The tripartite partners urge those who are not vaccinated but eligible to do so to get themselves inoculated as soon as possible. Tripartite partners agree that for unvaccinated employees who cannot return to the workplace, employers have the option of redeploying them to jobs that can be performed from home; placing them on no-pay leave, or terminating their contracts as the last resort. It would not be considered workplace discrimination or wrongful dismissal for employers to exercise these options in accordance with the employment contract. Employees who are certified to be medically ineligible for vaccination will, however, still be allowed to enter workplaces. If such employees are discriminated against or dismissed on the basis of their vaccination status, they should approach MOM for further assistance.”
“MOM actively puts out its feelers on the ground to look after the general well-being of migrant workers. These include (a) deploying Forward Assurance and Support Teams (FAST) to dormitories regularly to engage the migrant workers about their overall welfare; (b) working with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that engage with migrant workers; and (c) providing a mobile application “FWMOMCare” for migrant workers to report issues, including access to food, to MOM. In the last five years, we received occasional feedback about food, such as food quality issues or the food not meeting the workers’ cultural or dietary needs. We take this seriously and would require the employer to address the feedback promptly. About two-thirds of migrant workers reside in dormitories which have cooking facilities. Almost all of them have resumed cooking, with proper safe management measures in place. For workers who do not have access to cooking facilities, their employers would have made other arrangements for workers to have access to food.”
“The other members are likely to have had low total lifetime CPF contributions which means they could be eligible for the Silver Support Scheme5 if they do not have significant means to provide for their retirement. 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, GST Voucher Scheme and ComCare. 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.”
“The monthly CPF payouts that Singapore Citizens are receiving have been increasing over generations, given income growth, increased labour force participation, and improvements to the CPF system. Older cohorts also tend to have lower monthly CPF payouts due to more liberal withdrawal rules at age 55. For example, older cohorts who withdrew 50% of their Ordinary and Special Accounts (OSA) savings from age 55 would see their payouts reduce by around half. About 25% of those aged 89 and above1 and receiving CPF payouts in 2020 had monthly payouts above $500. This increased across cohorts to about 40% for those aged 67 to 882, and to about 60% for those aged 65 to 66.3 It is difficult to project CPF monthly payouts 10 years from now with meaningful accuracy as members’ CPF balances could change significantly during this period due to multiple reasons, such as contributions from employment income or voluntary top-ups. Nevertheless, we can get an indication by looking at the CPF balances of the cohort that turned 55 in 2020 and their estimated CPF payouts when they reach age 65. About 66% of active members would have accumulated sufficient CPF savings by 55 to set aside their cohort's Basic Retirement Sum and can receive at least around $8004 in monthly payouts for life. Of these, about seven in 10 can expect to receive around $1,600 in monthly payouts, as they would have been able to set aside their cohort’s Full Retirement Sum. In addition, about 10% are expected to accrue additional contributions through employment to also receive at least around $800 in monthly payouts by age 65.”
“MOM recognises that employers bear higher upfront costs of bringing in a Migrant Domestic Worker (MDW) during the COVID-19 pandemic due to border control and safety measures. To help alleviate the financial burden on employers, MOM has introduced in September 2021, the initiative to allow employers to share the entry Stay-Home Notice (SHN) and related COVID-19 tests costs with subsequent employers if the change of employer takes place prematurely within the first year of employment. With the easing of the border control measures, employers are also able to arrange for their MDWs to serve their SHN at self-sourced accommodation or their own residence. About 40% of employers have arranged for their MDWs to serve SHN at their or the employment agent’s residence. This would further lower the costs of hiring an MDW from overseas. Apart from helping employers manage the hiring costs, MOM has also implemented upstream measures to improve the prospect of successful employment relationships. For example, employers are able to access more information relating to the employment history of MDWs, such as the types and sizes of households the MDW has worked for previously, and the reasons the MDW left their past employers. This allows prospective employers to better assess the suitability of the MDW during the hiring process.”
“MOM does not have data on the prevalence of inter-generational teams, but as populations age, many studies have shown that it is imperative for businesses to embrace an age-diverse workforce to stay competitive. To support businesses, we are increasing the statutory retirement and re-employment ages to allow senior employees to continue working if they wish. All employers are also expected to adopt fair and merit-based employment practices. We actively encourage employers to adopt age-friendly practices, including job redesign, to better harness the potential of senior workers. Companies can tap on the Productivity Solutions Grant and Enterprise Development Grant to support job redesign. Our tripartite partners are also supporting companies’ workforce transformation, such as through NTUC’s Company Training Committees. The Tripartite Standard on Age-friendly Workplace Practices further recognises employers for putting in place good age management practices in areas such as selection and hiring, training and job-redesign. Such measures have helped our senior workers’ employment rate to remain strong despite the pandemic. We will continue efforts to support companies to harness the skills and experience of a diverse workforce.”
“Every workplace fatality is investigated to determine the contributing causes of the accident. This includes examination of the work schedules of deceased workers. In the past five years, our investigators had uncovered an average of five fatal cases per year (12% of total fatalities), where excessive work hours were suspected. Thus far, investigations have shown no evidence to link long working hours or fatigue to any fatal workplace accidents. However, our investigators will continue to examine for possible links in every new case that comes up. To protect employees from fatigue and overwork, working hours are regulated under the Employment Act (EA). Workmen, earning up to $4,500 per month, should not work more than 12 hours per day. Errant employers found to be flouting the EA can be prosecuted and fined up to $5,000 for each offence. The Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council also promotes the protection of workers to prevent fatigue through its Total WSH programme, WSH Council guidelines and platforms such as the annual National WSH Campaign. Last year’s National WSH Campaign emphasised Care Time for workers to take care of their safety and health. Simple actions such as regular exercise, constantly being hydrated and having adequate sleep can improve one’s physical and mental health and allow workers to be more alert to unsafe acts or conditions at their workplaces.”
“Dormitories are communal settings where transmissions can occur rapidly. As such, dormitory residents are required to be tested more frequently than the general community. Today, dormitory residents undergo Fast and Easy Testing-Rostered Routine Testing (FET-RRT). We have implemented Safe Living Measures (SLM), Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) audits and lower capacity numbers in recreation centres as well as controlled numbers for community visits to dampen the risk and speed of transmission, both within the dormitories and cross-transmission between the community and dormitories. For example, mid-last year, community cases were more numerous than dormitory cases and there was the risk of cross-transmission from the community to the dormitories. Reducing and managing transmission risk will ultimately help to safeguard the migrant workers’ health and reduce disruption to their ability to work. Many migrant workers have told us that they are concerned about not being able to work if they test positive and need to be isolated. We have progressively eased the restrictions over time. Migrant workers living in dormitories may visit recreation centres daily and up to 3,000 vaccinated migrant workers may visit the community on weekdays and up to 6,000 on weekends and public holidays. In addition, we are working with community partners, like Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs), grassroots organisations, schools and employers to plan and organise regular events and activities for workers in and out of the dormitories. We will continue to monitor the situation and ease restrictions when appropriate.”
“For the first two parts of the question, I would like to refer the Member to the answer MOM provided to a similar question raised by Mr Don Wee in an earlier sitting. We encourage retailers to provide adequate rest and welfare for their frontline staff. It is only right that employers do their best to create a conducive work environment, as staff will be more motivated and engaged as a result. However, excessive and overly prescriptive regulations laying out in detail how staff are to be deployed will impose rigidity in the sector, as retail outlets have a large variety of settings in how they serve customers. For the third part of the question, MOM does not collect data of the type described. The occupational health experts are of the view that a person who stands for a prolonged period on a regular basis may experience effects like swollen feet. This can be made worse when the person’s movement is severely restricted, for example within a very limited radius (of less than half a metre). Retail staff do move within the shop premises and they also have opportunities to take short breaks or stretches whilst at work. This would reduce the risk from prolonged standing at work.”
“We continually update our foreign workforce policies to enable firms to bring in complementary foreign manpower. For example, given the global competition for tech talent, we introduced specific schemes such as Tech.Pass and Tech@SG to provide firms with greater access to specialised manpower in the tech sector. And as I mentioned last year, we are also exploring refinements to our Employment Pass framework to help us better achieve our objectives of a strong Singaporean core, complemented by a diverse foreign workforce, which I will provide more details on at a later stage. Ultimately, our priority remains focussed on improving the livelihoods of Singaporeans; through the continued and sustainable growth of our economy and the creation of good jobs for Singaporeans. We will continue to update our policies to secure relevant job opportunities with good wages and prospects, and better lives for Singaporeans in a globalised and fast-changing economy.”
“Through programmes such as the Career Conversion Programmes (CCPs), which provide training and salary support to businesses who hire and reskill mid-career individuals for new occupations with good long-term prospects, we are helping businesses to move towards a "plug-train-and-play" approach, hiring and upskilling mid-career individuals who may not have the experience, but have the aptitude and willingness to learn. Businesses can also tap on the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme to take on mid-career jobseekers via an attachment programme instead. Businesses who have participated in these programmes have found success in considering a wider pool of jobseekers, including mid-career individuals from other sectors and senior workers. In addition, some vacancies take longer to fill because the wage or working conditions are not as attractive as other options available to jobseekers. Businesses may need to redesign the job role, or rethink their business model and operations, such as including flexible work arrangements. The Member also asked what we are doing to ensure that Singapore remains attractive to complementary global talent. The Member would recall that we debated this extensively on two occasions in Parliament last year, where the House affirmed the need for Singapore to stay open and connected to the world to grow and prosper. The Government works hard to ensure that businesses and individuals continue to choose Singapore because of our openness, rule of law and consistency in policies. A key part of our strategy is to have a work pass regime designed to enable companies to access a diverse pool of foreign workers who can complement our local workforce to deliver good jobs for Singaporeans.”
“Our labour market indicators suggest that over the past year, the market has tightened. While GDP grew 7.2% last year and local employment rose, total employment as at the third quarter of 2021 was still below that in 2019. The main reason for this is COVID-19 entry restrictions. When foreign workers leave Singapore, whether because their contracts end or they wish to go home to their families after an extended time apart, businesses have not been able to bring in replacements easily. MOM has been carefully monitoring the situation. In the second half of 2021, the Government eased entry restrictions in a calibrated manner, balancing public health considerations and the needs of our economy. The net decline in the non-resident workforce has slowed in 2021 and saw a small net gain in November 2021. Barring unforeseen circumstances, we expect to hold the course, which will enable businesses to replenish their foreign workforce where there are shortages. At the same time, we continue to support our businesses to strengthen their local workforce. We encourage businesses facing hiring challenges to relook at and refine their recruitment strategies. For instance, many businesses still prefer the "plug-and-play" approach, seeking experienced jobseekers who can hit the ground running. However, skills shortages in emerging areas often mean that demand outstrips supply, resulting in unfilled vacancies.”
“The adjudication of wrongful dismissal claims under the Employment Act and Child Development Co-Savings Act was shifted from MOM to the Employment Claims Tribunals (ECT) on 1 April 2019. Between 1 April 2019 and 31 December 2021, about 120 discrimination-related dismissal claims were lodged at the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM). Vast majority of these claims were resolved through mediation at TADM or at ECT’s case management conference. As of 31 December 2021, only 12 claims proceeded for adjudication at the ECT, of which eight were dismissed, one withdrawn, one pending and an amicable settlement was reached in the remaining two cases. There was no adjudicated order for compensation granted in favour of the employee for wrongful dismissal due to discrimination. Neither TADM nor the ECT classifies wrongful dismissal claims by the types of discrimination. Therefore, we are unable to provide the breakdown requested.”
“In closing, I would like to assure the House that WSG and SkillsFuture Singapore will continue to support all trainees in the various SGUnited Jobs and Skills programmes who require job search assistance.”
“The close to 100 Career Conversion Programmes (CCPs) are administered by different programme partners. Jobseekers apply through these programme partners or directly to the employer. Acceptance rates to CCPs are not a meaningful indicator as many jobseekers will apply for more than one job at a time, including CCP positions and other job vacancies. Instead, Workforce Singapore (WSG) monitors the number of jobseekers that have been hired through CCPs. Of the more than 23,000 CCP placements over the last three years, 27% were 50 years and older. The Member asked about the conversion rate to full-time jobs for WSG-supported programmes under the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package. WSG administers the SGUnited Traineeships and SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways programmes, which provide jobseekers with company-hosted traineeship, attachment and training opportunities in a weak labour market. These opportunities enable jobseekers to acquire work experience, skills and networks and put them in a stronger position to seize new job opportunities as the economy recovers. Not all trainees will be hired by their host organisations or even remain in the same sector. The Member also mentioned the SGUnited Skills Programme, which is run by SkillsFuture Singapore and provides another option for jobseekers. It offers industry-relevant courses delivered by Continuing Education and Training Centres, including Institutes of Higher Learning. As of end-November 2021, about 14,900 individuals have participated in the programme. As this programme falls under the purview of MOE, the Member may wish to file a separate Parliamentary Question if he is keen to find out more about the effectiveness of the specific programme.”
“For trainees who have not secured employment, Workforce Singapore (WSG) has proactively reached out to provide them with job search resources and information on job opportunities and upcoming job fairs. For trainees who require additional support, they can take up WSG’s career matching services including career coaching, employability workshops and networking sessions.”
“The SGUnited Traineeship programme was introduced in March 2020 amidst a weak labour market to provide fresh graduates with traineeship opportunities that allow them to acquire industry-relevant experience and build up their skillsets and networks. As of end-November 2021, about 11,500 graduates have taken on SGUnited traineeships since the scheme was launched. With the economy showing signs of recovery, fewer graduates are participating in the scheme. As at end-August 2021, 7,200 trainees have exited or completed their traineeships and based on latest available data, about 5,800 (81%) are employed: 3,500 (49%) employed by other companies and 2,300 (32%) employed by their host organisations. The traineeships were designed to provide traineeship and working experience to as many fresh graduates as possible despite weak economic conditions, hosted by employers who had the capacity to train and provide employment opportunities. If we are with the expectation that host organisations were obligated to employ all their trainees, then we must accept the corollary, that they would not be able to offer so many traineeships during the most critical period of the crisis. The reasons for a trainee not being converted into employment depends on the fit of each trainee to the job and the business situation and hiring needs of the host organisation. Trainees who are not employed by their host organisations will nevertheless have benefited from the traineeship experience, which boosts their employability. Taking recourse against host organisations will be against the spirit in which employers, job seekers and the Government came together to ensure that opportunities continue to exist despite the disruption to the labour market due to COVID-19.”
“For example, the Career Trial allows the jobseeker and prospective employer to try each other out for a period of time, with an allowance paid by the Government, to assess job-fit. Career Conversion Programmes provide generous training and salary support for employers to hire mid-career locals who require some skills top-up. Jobseekers can approach WSG or NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute for advice and assistance. Through the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices (TGFEP), we also ensure that employers recruit and promote employees and jobseekers based on merit, regardless of irrelevant attributes, such as gender, marital status or family responsibilities. The Tripartite Committee on Workplace Fairness is, currently, deliberating how the requirements in TGFEP can be enshrined in law to strengthen protection against discriminatory employment practices. Our community partners and the business community have also introduced various initiatives to provide mentorship, networking and training opportunities to nurture women talent in various fields. Some examples include the NTUC Women Supporting Women Mentorship Programme, NTU’s Promotion of Women in Engineering, Research and Science programme and Dell’s Diversity Leadership Accelerator Programme. Enabling women to participate in the workforce and realise their fullest potential requires a whole-of-society effort. As a result of our joint efforts with stakeholders and partners, our female employment rate2 has steadily increased over the past decade from 66.1% in 2010 to 73.2% in 2020. MOM will continue to work hand in hand with our tripartite partners and other stakeholders to support more women to participate in the workforce in their careers of choice.”
“With an ageing and plateauing population, it is important that we enable all residents to participate in the workforce. Women tend to still shoulder a heavier share of domestic responsibilities, even though men are starting to do more. To help more women join the workforce, we must support both men and women in managing their work and caregiving responsibilities and enable a more even sharing of the caregiving load. As such, we encourage employers to adopt flexible work arrangements (FWAs) and other work-life harmony practices and recognise those who do so through the Tripartite Standards on (a) FWAs, (b) Work-Life Harmony as well as (c) Unpaid Leave for Unexpected Care Needs. We also launched the Alliance for Action on Work-Life Harmony last year, bringing together like-minded employers, union leaders and HR practitioners to develop tools and best practices to support better work-life harmony. Nearly eight in 10 employers provide at least one form of formal FWAs in 20201. In addition, the Government is committed to enhancing the accessibility, affordability and quality of preschool, so that parents with young children can go to work with peace of mind. By around 2025, 80% of preschoolers will have a place in a Government-supported preschool. Over the medium term, the Government aims to lower fee caps for full-day childcare at Government-supported preschools so that working families will pay around the equivalent of Primary school fees plus after-school care fees, before means-tested preschool subsidies. Women looking for support to return to the workforce can tap on Workforce Singapore’s (WSG) employment facilitation programmes and services as well as SkillsFuture Singapore’s training courses. Different programmes are available to address different needs.”
“As of 2 January 2022, there were about 48,000 employees who had not taken any vaccine dose. The breakdown of such employees by age group is provided in Table 1 below. MOM does not have the breakdown by job type. MOM does not have data on the number of unvaccinated employees who are pregnant. MOH has issued clear public health advice, strongly encouraging pregnant employees to be vaccinated as soon as possible because delaying vaccination puts them at higher risks of complications should they contract COVID-19. Pregnant employees who have concerns over vaccination should consult their obstetricians to discuss benefits and risks.”
“Between 2020 and 2021, the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices received an annual average of about 14 reports relating to discrimination due to marital status and family responsibilities. This is similar to that received between 2017 and 2019. Of the reports received in the last two years, about 80% were reported by women, lower than 95% between 2017 and 2019.”
“MOM publishes the gross monthly income from work of full-time employed residents in June at the 20th and 50th percentile on an annual basis. This allows us to track whether the incomes of lower-wage workers are keeping pace with the median income growth. In addition, we also publish annual data on the number of full-time employed residents by gross monthly income bands, from below $500 to $20,000 and over. This provides a more granular distribution of full-time employed residents across finer income bands. The time series for both datasets from 1996 to 2020 is available on the MOM website. In the Labour Force in Singapore 2020 report, this is in Table 19, Table 27 and Chart 40.”
“We also urge employees to proactively communicate with employers on expectations while on FWAs, take ownership of their well-being and seek help if required.”
“Work-from-home (WFH) arrangements have become widespread given the pandemic. WFH is a form of flexible work arrangement (FWA) which can support employees to better manage their work and personal responsibilities, but there are, indeed, possible downsides which need to be managed. Based on qualitative data, these include concerns about longer hours and burnout due to blurring of work-life boundaries. MOM and the tripartite partners have taken steps to address the potential impact of WFH on employees’ mental well-being. The Tripartite Advisory on Mental Well-being was introduced in 2020, and one of the key recommendations within was for employers to set reasonable expectations of after-hours work communications, such as not requiring employees to respond to non-urgent work-related messages and emails after-hours. MOM also encourages employers to make use of iWorkHealth, a free online psychosocial health assessment tool launched in 2021 for employers to regularly assess their employees’ mental well-being and identify common stressors. Employers who put in place recommended work-life support to enable employees to better balance their work and personal commitments are recognised through the Tripartite Standard on Work-Life Harmony. The tripartite partners have also formed the Alliance for Action on Work-Life Harmony to develop tools and resources to help employers improve work-life harmony for their employees and we are sustaining this momentum by growing and equipping a community of Work-Life Ambassadors who will continue to support these efforts at their workplaces. MOM encourages employers to continue to sustain the provision of FWAs post-pandemic, while ensuring employees’ well-being and work productivity are not compromised.”
“Civil servants are not required to declare reasons for their utilisation of annual leave. To further support officers’ eldercare needs, if any, civil servants are entitled to two days of Parent Care Leave in addition to their annual leave provisions. Between 2015 and 2020, close to half of civil servants utilised Parent Care Leave. Amongst them, the average utilisation per officer was 1.5 to two days per year. Utilisation was broadly similar across married and single officers. MOM does not have survey data on the need for eldercare leave on top of flexible work arrangements (FWAs) amongst working caregivers. Nevertheless, in focus group discussions conducted by MOH in 2018, working caregivers provided feedback that they preferred FWAs to leave provisions, as FWAs provided them greater flexibility and sustainability in meeting their caregiving needs. As such, the tripartite partners have been stepping up efforts to increase access to FWAs. From 2014 to 2019, the proportion of employers who offered at least one formal FWA on a regular and sustained basis rose from 47% to 53%. As employers and workers adapt to the pandemic, the proportion of employers who did so in 2020 further increased to close to eight in 10, and we expect many employers will continue to do so as FWAs become a more accepted way of working.1 We will continue to review and enhance our efforts to entrench and strengthen the practice of FWAs to help employees, including caregivers of the elderly, manage both their work and caregiving responsibilities.”
“Well over 90% of resident employees1 who wished to continue working were offered and had accepted re-employment at age 62. This percentage is consistently over 90% for residents reaching each of the subsequent re-employment ages as well. With respect to how long CPF savings can last, all members, regardless of their employment status, can benefit from CPF LIFE which provides them with monthly payouts, no matter how long they live. Members are automatically included in CPF LIFE if they meet certain criteria. Members who are not automatically included can opt into CPF LIFE. For those with low incomes during their working years and now have less in their retirement, the Government provides quarterly cash supplements under the Silver Support Scheme.”
“Our workplace safety and health (WSH) system already incorporates the area of mental health and well-being. We continue to enhance the WSH system to place more emphasis on workplace health, including mental health. For example, the WSH Council has enhanced the audit requirements for bizSAFE to make it explicit that companies need to consider personal health risk factors and psychosocial hazards when conducting risk assessments. These include assessing how mental health affects safety at work and how work affects workers’ mental health. To support companies to update their approaches, the WSH Council has expanded the Code of Practice on Risk Management to provide clearer guidance. For example, organisations should consider organising mental health talks to educate employees on self-care tips and conducting periodic surveys of employees' mental well-being. Examples of how to mitigate risks to mental well-being have been incorporated into bizSAFE training, following the enhanced Code of Practice. There is also a range of existing support within the WSH Council’s Total WSH Programme. This includes the iWorkHealth tool, which is an online, self-administered psychosocial health assessment tool that helps companies and their employees to identify common workplace stressors, as part of workplace health risks and hazards. We thank the Member for his suggestion on mental health first responder training. It will be incorporated into the Total WSH programme for all companies to tap on.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for firms to redouble their efforts to increase productivity through digitalisation and automation, diversify their foreign workforce and reduce their reliance on lower-skilled foreign manpower. This is necessary for our firms to improve their resilience in the long term. We will continue to support our firms to transform. We are also supporting firms to strengthen their local hiring by redesigning jobs to make them more attractive to local workers and tapping on a wider pool of jobseekers. We encourage firms to move from a “plug-and-play" approach to hiring to a “plug-train-and-play” approach. Many firms have been successful in making use of the support under the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package to hire and reskill mid-career jobseekers.”
“We resumed entry approvals on 10 August 2021 for fully-vaccinated services sector workers; and on 15 October 2021 for construction, marine shipyard and process (CMP) sector workers to enter Singapore from 1 November 2021. A monthly average of 10,000 S Passes and Work Permit Holders (WPHs) from the services sector and 18,000 from the CMP sectors entered in November and December 2021, compared to a monthly average of 2,000 and 3,000 respectively between May and October 2021 when travel restrictions and tightened entry approvals were in place. We did not monitor the arrivals before the COVID-19 pandemic, as there were no entry restrictions then. To help firms in the CMP sectors which need their workers urgently, there are ongoing initiatives in the industries to bring in workers safely with tightened end-to-end safe management processes. The Government has also been working closely with the sectors to retain workers in Singapore, in order to address firms’ manpower challenges. For instance, MOM allowed a one-time renewal for CMP WPHs who did not meet the renewal criteria and worked with the Singapore Contractors Association Ltd to introduce a retention scheme for construction WPHs whose employments are terminated but who wish to continue working in Singapore. In light of the increased manpower costs faced by the CMP sectors due to the evolving COVID-19 situation, the Government has recently extended the Foreign Worker Levy (FWL) rebate of $250 per month to March 2022 for all CMP WPHs. In addition, the Government has extended the FWL waiver for migrant workers (MWs) in all sectors for their entry Stay Home Notice period till December 2022. We will continue to closely monitor the situation and review whether a further extension of these measures will be necessary.”
“The Tripartite Advisory on Mental Well-Being at Workplaces contains information of some workplace mental well-being training service providers that organisations can consider. In promoting adoption of the Tripartite Advisory, we try to avoid a one-size-fits-all approach. Formal training and the creation of a resource person may work for larger companies, but is less relevant or practical for SMEs. Even if an organisation is not able to designate at least one of its staff to be trained, it is still possible to consider implementing the other practical recommendations in the advisory. To further encourage companies to send their representatives for trainings to build up mental health competencies, the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council and Health Promotion Board (HPB) have programmes that include mental well-being support. These are offered for free or at highly subsidised rates. Under the Total WSH Programme, providers work with companies to run interventions to address the safety and health gaps holistically, where mental well-being topics are included. Similarly, HPB’s Workplace Outreach Wellness (WOW) package includes mental well-being programmes that strengthen workplace support for employees and help employees manage stress as well as build mental resilience.”
“86% of existing MDWs in Singapore were hired by households with caregiving needs. As shared in Parliament previously, the average monthly salary of a new MDW hired from overseas was $590 as at the end of 2020. As at September 2021, this was $620. On the average, transfer MDWs are paid about $40 more than new MDWs.”
“There were 42 wrongful dismissal claims lodged by Work Permit Holders in 2020, out of a total of 1,319 such claims lodged by all employees. About 60% (26) of these claims were resolved at the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management, while the remaining 16 were referred to the Employment Claims Tribunals (ECT). Of the cases referred to the ECT, 11 were dismissed or withdrawn, one did not lodge the claim, and another was adjourned. The remaining three cases resulted in money orders for the claimant.”
“MOM does not compile the statistics requested by the Member. We typically give employers up to 14 days to repatriate their work permit holders after the work permit is cancelled. In our Settling-In-Programme for new migrant workers, they are briefed that if they are being repatriated but have pending employment-related claims against their employer, they should inform officers at the immigration checkpoints, who will refer them to MOM. MOM will allow the worker to remain in Singapore to settle his claims and facilitate a transfer to a new employer if the worker would like to continue working in Singapore. MOM will also proactively reach out to construction workers whose permits have been cancelled to put them on the retention scheme jointly set up with the Singapore Contractors Association Limited (SCAL). The retention scheme is being progressively expanded to include the Marine Shipyard and Process sectors, jointly with industry partners.”
“All reports of Migrant Domestic Worker (MDW) abuse are referred to and investigated by the Police. From 2019 to 2020, an average of 300 reports of MDW abuse by employers or household members of the employers were made to the Police each year. Seventeen MDWs were found to have made false allegations against their employers and were issued warning by the Police. Thirteen of the MDWs were blacklisted and banned from working in Singapore. The remaining four cases are pending review of the case facts from Police’s investigation. SPF and MOM take a serious view on abuse allegations made by MDWs. Therefore, all complaints and claims are investigated thoroughly and fairly to determine if the allegations are substantiated. MDWs who were found to have provided false information may be punished upon conviction to a fine, up to two years’ imprisonment, or both. Convicted MDWs will also be repatriated and banned from employment in Singapore.”
“Safe Management Measures for the workplace, including the work-from-home requirement, are calibrated taking into account the public health situation, and employee and business interests. Currently, workplaces are required to operate on a maximum work-from-home mode. This means that all employees who are able to perform their job function from home must do so. As the public health situation improves, we will gradually ease the work-from-home requirement. Employers should consider hybrid work arrangements as part of their future operating model. This will strengthen business resilience to cope with new variants or a future pandemic. Flexible work arrangements also contribute to employees’ work-life harmony, and to staff engagement.”
“Given the limited number of entry approvals for migrant domestic workers (MDWs) over the past few months, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has been prioritising families with urgent caregiving needs, such as households with sick elderly, young children or family members with special needs. There are many unique circumstances under which a household may need to hire more than one MDW to meet their caregiving needs. For example, there are households that hire multiple MDWs because they have young children, including say a child with special needs; or a bed-bound family member who requires round-the-clock care. As such, the entry approvals for MDWs are granted based on the unique circumstances of a household instead of arbitrarily setting a cap to the number of MDWs that can be hired by a household.”