500 firms on watchlist for unfair employment practices: Lim Swee Say

Since its implementation in 2016, 500 companies have appeared on a watchlist for businesses with employment practices that are unfair towards Singaporeans, said Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say in Parliament on Monday (5 March).

These companies come from various sectors – including placement companies and employment agencies – and employed more than 2,200 Singaporean professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs), said Lim.

Of these, 150 companies have been cleared from the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) watchlist after engaging with the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP), added the 63-year-old.

“Of the remaining 350 companies, 60 of them have not been cooperative and showed no sign of improvement. We have curtailed their Work Pass privileges. No new EP applications no renewal of existing EPs until they adopt fairer (human resource) practices,” said Lim.

A total of 1,900 Employment Passes (EP) applied for by the companies on the watchlist were also subjected to additional scrutiny by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).

The FCF requirement for job advertisements will also be changed to ensure that locals are fairly considered for job opportunities.

Companies with 10 or more employees will have to advertise on job platforms such as Jobs Bank before submitting an EP application to MOM. Currently, companies with 25 employees or more are subject to the requirement.

Companies with open positions offering monthly salaries of less that $15,000 will also be made to take out such job advertisements.

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