Govt steps up leave of absence regime for all workers returning to S’pore from China

SINGAPORE — Employers with workers who are coming back to Singapore from mainland China must now notify the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) of their return, and those who fail to comply with orders to quarantine themselves or serve a 14-day leave of absence (LOA) could be punished.

The Government is stepping up the LOA regime with immediate effect by tightening surveillance and enforcement, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said on Thursday (Feb 6), as the novel coronavirus situation is evolving rapidly and risk levels are “increasing generally across the board”.

Previously, employers did not have to notify MOM about workers returning from China.

Speaking at a visit to a dormitory in Tuas, Mr Wong said that all employers with workers returning from mainland China must now notify MOM on when these workers are returning.

This is “so that we can stagger the returning of these workers and we can manage the flow of them returning better”, he said.

When asked on how the measures will be stepped up and enforced, Mr Wong said that the relevant agencies are currently working out details and further announcements will be made in due course. 

“This is not new because we already have a series of very strict surveillance measures when it comes to home quarantine, whether it is through phone calls, spot checks, or video calls. We can make use of similar technologies to do the monitoring and surveillance (of those on LOA),” he said.

He added that penalties could be imposed on the companies — such as by revoking work permit privileges — or on the employees themselves. 

When asked how many of the 30,000 work permit holders from China have returned to Singapore, Manpower Minister Josephine Teo, who was also at the dormitory visit, told reporters that the authorities are tabulating the number now, but added that because of travel bans and cancelled flights, the majority of these workers have not returned.

“That is why it’s very important for us to get in touch with the employers. Depending on their own business needs, they may not all want to bring back their workers. And we will have a better sense after they get in touch with us.”

Noting that businesses here will be affected by the stricter measures, Mr Wong said the Government will be extending help to local employers who require assistance. 

He added that a broader series of measures will also be announced during Budget 2020, which will be delivered on Feb 18.

For now, Mr Wong noted that a few employers have found difficulty finding accommodation for their workers who need a place to stay during the LOA period.

To help them, the Government will work with dormitory operators to provide facilities for such employers and their workers, he added.

To help cushion the financial impact on affected businesses, the Government will also be waiving the foreign worker levy for foreign workers who are on quarantine or LOA, and provide S$100 a day to their employers. 

“I think the employers have also been asking for similar support to be extended to their employees when they are on LOA because whether they are on LOA or they are under quarantine, the businesses are equally affected. They are disrupted, the projects are being delayed,” Mr Wong said.