Penalties for Employers who Implement Attendance-based Incentive Schemes

1 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Manpower what are the penalties for employers who implement attendance-based incentive schemes after the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices (TGFEP) are amended by next year to clarify that such schemes are a breach of the TGFEP.

The Senior Minister of State for Manpower (Dr Koh Poh Koon) (for the Minister for Manpower): Mr Speaker, the answer that the Member has sought has already been answered in yesterday's Question No 7. This specific question is related to his supplementary question yesterday.

Mr Speaker: Mr Louis Ng.

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Thank you, Sir. I understand the penalty is the curtailment of work pass privileges. But could I ask how many companies, including SMEs in Singapore, do not hire foreigners? And two, what then is the penalties for these companies that do not hire foreigners, since curtailing their work pass privileges will be ineffective?

Dr Koh Poh Koon: Sir, I thank the Member for his supplementary questions. In fact, the majority of employers here employ foreign workers. As the suspension of work pass privileges can last up to 24 months, the penalty is still effective, even if the employer does not hire any foreign worker when the suspension was first imposed.