Singapore

MOM launches National Job Board portal

23 May 14

SINGAPORE

IMPACT – HIGH

What is the change? The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has launched the new National Job Board portal.

What does the change mean? Any company seeking to employ a foreign worker who requires an Employment Pass must advertise the position on the National Job Board (NJB) for a minimum of 14 days.

  • Implementation timeframe: Although the launch has already been planned, the requirement to advertise on the NJB becomes official Aug. 1.
  • Visas/permits affected: Employment Passes.
  • Who is affected: Companies who wish to employ a foreign national for a position with a salary less than $12000.00 SGD per month. Companies with 25 employees or fewer are not required to advertise. Positions that are being filled by intra-company transfers that meet the appropriate criteria are not required to be advertised.
  • Impact on processing times: The job must be advertised for 14 days in order to receive the job ID required to submit an Employment Pass application.
  • Business impact: Companies will need to be diligent in posting the job advertisements, which should contain salary ranges, although they do not have to be visible to all prospective viewers. The salary must be recorded with the Singapore Workforce Development Agency so that it can be compared to the Employment Pass application. Companies need to make sure that the salary declared in the Employment Pass application is within the salary range in the job advertisement.Employers should make sure they have completed the appropriate steps to be officially registered to use the NJB before Aug. 1. A handbook is available to guide them in completing this process.

    There is also a requirement to register with the Singapore Workforce Development Agency through the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore’s e-Services Authorisation System (EASY).

Background: In response to growing concerns regarding potentially discriminatory hiring practices in Singapore, MOM introduced the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF). The goals of the FCF are to:

  • Encourage employers to give Singaporeans a fair chance at both employment and development opportunities.
  • Set acceptable norms for hiring practices.

The National Job Bank (NJB), administered by the Workforce Development Agency (WDA), is being introduced to facilitate the goals of the FCF:

  • The NJB is intended to be a ‘one-stop shop’ for positions available in Singapore.
  • Local Singaporeans (citizens and permanent residents) can have a clear look at all jobs that are currently available.
  • MOM can gain insight on what sort of jobs are available to make adjustments in school curriculums and adult education and manpower training programs to prepare the current and future Singaporean workforce accordingly.

The FCF and the NJB will officially be introduced Aug. 1, although employers are encouraged to start using the NJB now.

BAL Analysis: Companies should act now to ensure they are registered and familiar with the NJB and its requirements.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group in Singapore. For additional information, please contact singapore@bal.com.

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