Protecting Foreign Employees’ Rights and Welfare in Singapore

Penalties

Any violations in Singapore's labour laws can lead to government fines, licence revocations, and other disciplinary actions. The penalties for common offences in accordance with the EFMA are: ^[3]

• Companies that employ a foreign employee without a valid work pass would face a fine between $5,000 and $30,000, or imprisonment for up to 1 year, or both.
• For subsequent convictions, offenders face mandatory imprisonment and a fine between $10,000 and $30,000.
• Contravening any condition of a work pass can lead to a fine of up to $10,000, or imprisonment for up to 1 year, or both.
• Making a false statement or providing false information in any application or renewal of a work pass can result in a fine of up to $20,000, or imprisonment for up to 2 years, or both.
• Receiving money in connection with an employment of a foreign employee may cost a fine of up to $30,000, or imprisonment for up to 2 years, or both.
• Obtaining a work pass for a foreign employee for a business that does not exist, or is not in operation or does not require the employment of the foreign employee will lead to an imprisonment term of 6 months and a fine not exceeding $6,000. Offenders may also receive caning.
• MOM has also added new presumption clauses and enhanced investigatory powers to step up enforcement against syndicated and errant employers.
• Employers illegally recovering employment costs from foreign workers (levy, security bond, etc.) can be charged with a fine of up to $20,000 administrative financial penalty per infringement.
• Employers inflating foreign worker quota by paying CPF to local ‘phantom’ workers may face a fine of up to $20,000 administrative financial penalty per infringement.
• Employers who fail to submit a request for re-assessment for work pass eligibility before reducing the salary of S- and Employment Pass holders can incur a fine of up to $10,000 administrative financial penalty per infringement.

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• QuickHR allows automatic calculations and deductions in adherence to governmental rules. These include tailored CPF formulations, auto-calculated SDL contributions, Bank GIRO and CPF submission features, and MOM itemised payslips.
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With QuickHR, businesses will be able to prevent fines and penalties which may lead to great financial loss.

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