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  • All dorms cleared of Covid-19 & Measures for residents to enjoy safe rest days [updated 12 Aug]
    • Progress of dorm clearance
  • All dorms, except 17 standalone blocks in 6 Purpose-Built Dormitories (PBDs) serving as quarantine facilities cleared of Covid-19 as of 11 Aug
  • All workers either recovered or tested free from virus, except 22,500 workers in Centralised Government Quarantine Facilities and the 17 blocks
  • Majority of foreign workers (incl. dorm residents) now able to resume work (i.e. Green AccessCode)
    • Moving towards safe rest days
  • Social activity is important for mental well-being of dorm residents
    • Eventual goal is to allow residents from cleared dorms to enjoy rest days w/o movement restrictions
  • MOM has engaged employers/NGOs/dorm operators/Recreation Centre operators:
    • Small-scale trials in Aug for residents to visit Recreation Centres on rest days (e.g. to buy groceries, SIM cards and remit money)
    • Residents’ exits will be spread out across each day; required to apply for Dormitory Exit Pass through SGWorkPass app
  • To be granted Exit Pass, residents must:
    • Have recovered from Covid-19 or have negative swab test result within 14 days prior to exit date
    • Not be on Quarantine Order or Stay Home Notice
    • Be staying in cleared dorm
    • Have installed and registered TraceTogether
    • Choose a timeslot with available vacancies

More details: Dorm clearance & Rest days

  • Jobs Situation Report [New 11 Aug]
    • Preliminary estimates from MTI’s latest Quarterly Economic Survey and MOM’s Labour Market Advance Release confirmed earlier warnings that the impact of COVID-19 on Singapore’s economy and labour market would be more extensive in 2Q 2020 compared to 1Q 2020.
    • Updates on the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package
  • As at end-July, the National Jobs Council (NJC) has curated 92,000 committed opportunities
  • By end July, 24,000 jobseekers have been placed into these opportunities
    • Engagement and Outreach Efforts
    • To help jobseekers navigate these opportunities, Workforce Singapore (WSG) has ramped up its outreach by organising a series of events to help Singaporeans meet with hiring companies, pick up career tips and guidance to improve their job search, and better access information on the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package.
  • In July 2020, a total of 59 outreach and engagement activities have been conducted across Singapore reaching some 13,000 jobseekers.
    • Walk-in Interviews
  • Nearly 1,000 opportunities were available at the 11 walk-in interviews held in July 2020
    • Career Workshops
  • 43 career workshops and seminars were organised in July 2020 to help jobseekers better prepare for jobs of the future and to improve their job search
    • SGUnited Jobs and Skills Info Kiosks
  • WSG has been deploying SGUnited Jobs and Skills Info Kiosks almost every week in neighbourhoods to promote and raise awareness of various schemes under the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package. Five such physical pop-ups were organised in Ghim Moh, Bedok, Seng Kang, Ang Mo Kio and Pasir Ris in July, reaching over 5,700 individuals. About 62% of visitors were aged 40 and above.
  • Besides learning more about the package, individuals can also interact with WSG’s Career Ambassadors over live chat for bite-sized career advisory services. More than 130 did so, with tailored career advice depending on their job situation.

More details here.

  • Multi-Layered Approach to Ensure Safe Restart of Work [updated 11 Aug]
    • Testing of all migrant workers for COVID-19 has been completed.
    • To allow workers to resume work while minimising the risk of renewed infections, dorms are putting in place safe living and distancing measures at the workplace.
    • Guarding against renewed infections
  • The Interagency Task Force (ITF) is actively monitoring the dorms to manage risk of new outbreaks. This is done through four safeguards:
    • Workers are required to self-monitor their health & report their temperature & acute respiratory illness symptoms through the FWMOMCare App twice/day; those with symptoms will be identified & cared for immediately
    • ITF monitors the number of migrant workers who report sick at medical posts, as an early indication of any possible infections
    • ITF monitors the wastewater from higher risk dorms for traces of COVID-19
    • Workers in higher risk settings are put through regular routine testing
  • If there are signs of potential infections, ITF will quickly isolate & quarantine at-risk workers as a precautionary measure & conduct aggressive testing
    • Protecting the health of workers
  • Employers of workers that need to be regularly tested are required to arrange for their workers to undergo the COVID-19 swab test every 14 days at a Regional Screening Centre or an in-dorm test centre
  • Employers should space out the testing of their workers over the 14-day period
  • Employers can book appointment slots for testing of workers via HPB’s new Swab Registration System

More details here.

  • Another 47 Employers Placed on the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) Watchlist [New 6 Aug]
    • Ensuring fair hiring
  • 47 more employers placed on the FCF Watchlist as they may have discriminatory hiring practices
  • 30 employers from Financial and Professional Services Sectors; 17 in other sectors such as Administrative and Support Services/Manufacturing
  • Their Employment Pass (EP) applications and hiring will be closely scrutinised
  • Uncooperative employers will have their work pass privileges cut back; employers who breach fair hiring requirements may face prosecution for false declarations on fair consideration
    • Observations of FCF Watchlist employers in Financial and Professional Services
  • Employers not familiar with skillset of local jobseekers or the govt’s measures to help locals reskill/upskill
  • Through TAFEP’s intervention, most employers reviewed their hiring practices
  • >100 of 190 employers from these sectors have since exited the Watchlist after demonstrating strong commitment to improve hiring practices
    • Ongoing efforts
  • MOM has scrutinised more than 1,200 employers under the FCF since 2016
  • 3,200 EP applications were rejected/withheld or withdrawn by employers
  • Over the same time period, employers on the FCF watchlist hired > 4,800 Singaporean PMETs
  • TAFEP will continue to work with remaining firms on watchlist
  • MOM does not tolerate unfair hiring practices; will ensure no nationality bias against locals
  • Employers urged to tap on govt schemes to develop strong Singaporean core (e.g. Human Capital Partnership)
  • Members of the public can report to TAFEP; identities will be kept confidential

More details here.

  • Foreign Worker Levy Waiver and Rebates Extended for Construction, Marine Shipyard and Process Sectors [Updated 3 Aug]
    • The government received industry feedback that the majority of an estimated 15,000 firms in the Construction, Marine Shipyard and Process (CMP) sectors continue to face financial difficulties as they are unable to resume work due to COVID-19 measures.
    • An additional $320 million has been set aside to further extend the foreign worker levy (FWL) rebates to help firms in these sectors retain enterprise capabilities and emerge stronger from the COVID-19 crisis. The FWL waiver will also be extended.
    •  The government will support firms in the CMP sectors by:
  • Extending the FWL waiver till Dec 2020
  • Extending the existing $375 FWL rebate to Sep 2020
    • Gradual reduction of extended FWL waiver
  • 100% FWL waiver for July 2020; employers who paid 50% levies originally due in July will have the amount refunded
  • 100% FWL waiver for levies due in August and September 2020
  • 5% FWL waiver for levies due in October 2020
  • 50% FWL waiver for levies due in November 2020
  • 25% FWL waiver for levies due in December 2020
    • Extended FWL rebate
  • Existing $375 FWL rebate will be extended to August and September 2020 (For each S Pass and Work Permit Holder); will replace the $90 FWL rebate
  • Firms will continue to receive $90 FWL rebate for October 2020 until December 2021 (For each Work Permit Holder only)

More details here.

  • Queries on Covid-related matters
    • Refer to MOM’s FAQs: www.mom.gov.sg/covid-19/frequently-asked-questions
    • For advices on further queries, contact MOM through online form here.