1. Singapore to allow up to 75% of employees to be in office from 5 April 2021
As of April 5, 2021, up to 75% of employees (who can currently work from home) will now be able to be in the workplace at any given time, instead of the current 50%. The current cap on the amount of time employees can be in the workplace will also be removed.
source: zaobao
Nonetheless, staggered work hours and flexible working hours should continue to be implemented where possible to reduce the risk of infection. Accordingly, MOM has updated the requirements for workplace safety management measures. Key points to note include：
- The number of such employees returning to the workplace at any given time will be revised upward from the current 50% of the total workforce to as much as 75%.
- No limit on the amount of personal work time employees can spend in the workplace
- Supporting as many employees as possible to work from home
- Measures to work from home should allow employees to maintain work-life harmony while continuing to meet business needs
- For employees who are still unable to work from home, employers should revisit work processes, provide the necessary IT equipment, and adopt solutions that enable telecommuting and online collaboration
- Continue to conduct virtual meetings whenever possible.
- Pay special attention to vulnerable employees (e.g., those aged 60 and older, immunocompromised or with co-occurring medical conditions).
2. More than 150,000 employers will receive employment subsidies worth more than $3 billion starting March 30
More than 150,000 employers will receive a new round of government employment subsidies worth more than $3 billion from March 30. It is estimated that more than 2 million local employees will benefit.
source: CNA
To help businesses cope with the impact of the coronary epidemic, the government launched the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) in February last year. Together with this round of subsidies, employers have so far received a total of $24.5 billion to subsidize the wages of local employees in the workforce.
The current round of subsidies will reduce employers’ salary costs from September to December last year, the first $4,600 of each employee’s salary can be subsidized by up to 50%.
The airline, aerospace, and tourism industries, which were most affected by the outbreak, will receive a 50% subsidy. The restaurant, retail, arts and culture, and land and sea transportation and offshore sectors receive a 30% subsidy. Employers in the construction sector receive a 50% subsidy on salaries paid in September and October last year, reducing to 30% in November and December. Other areas receive a 10% subsidy.
Companies that are not approved to resume site operations will continue to receive a 50%subsidy each month until the month or until they are approved to resume operations.
Employers who qualify for the subsidy will be notified by letter, and they will also be able to view the electronic letter on the government’s tax website (MyTaxPortal). Employers using the corporate version of PayNow will receive the subsidy as early as the 30th of this month. Other employers will receive their checks from April 5.
However, about 5,500 employers will have to wait until the end of next month to receive the subsidies. This is because the Ministry of Trade and Industry is still checking the reopening dates of the companies used to calculate the subsidies, the statement said. All affected employers will be notified by mail or email, and employers can also visit go.gov.sg/JSSreopeningdate.
3. Rebranding of CPF e-Submission to CPF EZPay on 28 March
From 28 March 2021, CPF e-Submission will be renamed CPF EZPay. This rebranding re-affirms our commitment for CPF submission to be easy, simple and convenient to use for all employers.
- The CPF submission process remains unchanged. You can access CPF EZPay through the CPF website or download the CPF EZPay Mobile app on the App Store / Google Play.
- You will be able to view your Submission History and Record of Payment (ROP) over a period of up to 24 months on CPF EZPay instead of the current 15 months.
- PayNow QR payment option is now extended to CPF EZPay users on Direct Debit. All CPF EZPay and CPF EZPay Mobile users can now tap on PayNow QR to make CPF contributions easily.
