The Ministry of Manpower is adjusting Singapore’s foreign worker policies amidst ‘changed’ market conditions
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) this week (August 26) announced that they’ll be adjusting Singapore’s foreign worker policies.
This includes raising the salary criteria for employment pass (EP) and special pass (S Pass) holders.
The move followed backlash over recent cases of unfair hiring and a response from President Halimah Yacob. The changes will also reflect the changing times.
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Currently, EP holders need to earn at least $3,900 a month, while S Pass holders must earn a minimum of $2,400 a month.
“With COVID-19 and the economic disruption it has caused, there is now more slack in the labour market,” said Josephine Teo, minister of manpower. “We will therefore make further adjustments to our foreign workforce policies…to reflect the changed conditions.
“Even as we stay open to the world to accelerate our recovery, the crisis makes it all the more important that employers give fair treatment to Singaporeans.”
Teo assured that there is regular calibration of foreign worker policies to enable firms to access the manpower they need while prioritising Singaporeans where possible.
She said that Singaporeans, regardless of age, race and gender must have a fair chance at job opportunities.
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MOM also urged employers “to achieve greater diversity” within their EP and S Pass workforce “where practical”. This means, employers can continue to hire non-Singaporeans due to a skills gap or to expand “new networks of opportunity”.
“It’s very important that all the candidates that appear before an employer or put themselves up as a potential recruit for a company, they do need the company to firstly, have a very open minded way of looking at their application,” Teo told local media.
“In other words, setting aside concerns about age, gender, [and] ethnicity. And certainly for Singaporeans, there is a need for companies and employers to make a very special effort to ensure that every single one of them is properly considered.”
