Breakdown of Reports on Employers Not Providing Properly Itemised Payslips and Penalties Imposed

43 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Manpower (a) for each year from 2018 to 2020, how many work pass holders reported their employers for not providing properly itemised payslips; (b) how many employers were found liable, with the percentage breakdown; (c) how many employers were repeat offenders; (d) whether, and, if so, what harsher penalties were imposed on these repeat offenders; and (e) whether the Ministry actively monitors employers’ compliance with the itemised payslip requirement and, if so, by what means.

Dr Tan See Leng: Between 2018 and 2020, MOM looked into an average of 100 complaints per year from work pass holders on the non-issuance of itemised payslips. Some complaints were lodged directly with MOM while others arose from salary disputes between employer and employee. A further 280 cases involving both foreign and local employees were detected from proactive inspections under the Workright initiative each year. In about 80% of the cases, including complaints, employers were formally notified to make the necessary rectifications. For the others, inquiries revealed that itemised payslips were available digitally or were issued late due to a lapse. No further action was taken for these cases. There were no repeat offenders.