Rest Period for Workers Designated to Drive Their Colleagues
Ministry of ManpowerSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the enforcement, penalties, and definition of the mandated 30-minute rest period for workers designated to drive colleagues after six hours of work, as raised by Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang. Minister for Manpower Dr Tan See Leng stated that compliance will be checked via workplace safety inspections, accident investigations, and joint road checks with the Land Transport Authority and Traffic Police. Employers who fail to comply face financial penalties of up to $20,000 under the Workplace Safety and Health Act, while workers can report issues through confidential Ministry of Manpower or Migrant Workers Centre hotlines. The 30-minute rest period is defined as a protected duration free from work-related tasks intended for the driver’s physical and mental rest. These measures follow plans announced by Senior Minister of State Amy Khor to enhance regulations by 1 January 2023 to improve the safe transport of workers in lorry decks.
Transcript
38 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Manpower (a) how will the Ministry enforce the requirement that employers are required to provide a rest period of at least 30 minutes to workers designated to drive their colleagues when such workers have been working onsite for at least six hours; (b) what are the penalties for employers who fail to provide such rest; and (c) what constitutes a rest period.
Dr Tan See Leng: Details of the mandated rest period for dual role drivers, together with other inter-agency measures to enhance the safe transport of workers in lorry decks, were recently announced by the Ministry of Transport (MOT)'s Senior Minister of State Amy Khor on 19 October. This included the Ministry of Manpower (MOM)'s plans to enhance its regulations by 1 January 2023.
MOM will check for compliance on the provision of the rest period as part of our workplace safety and health inspections and accident investigations, such as through interviewing workers and drivers at the worksites. MOM will also work with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Traffic Police to conduct checks on lorries with workers in rear decks on the road.
Employers who fail to comply will be subjected to a financial penalty not exceeding $20,000 under the Workplace Safety and Health Act for failure to provide a rest period for dual role drivers. Dual role drivers can approach MOM or the Migrant Workers Centre via their hotline numbers, if they are not being provided with the mandated rest period. MOM will investigate the matter while keeping their identities and information strictly confidential.
The 30-minute rest period refers to a protected period during which the dual role driver must not be performing any work-related tasks. The rest period is meant for him or her to rest, both physically and mentally.