JobsBank merges with MySkillsFuture, new advertising guidelines released

IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? Singapore has merged the JobsBank and MySkillsFuture websites and has released new guidelines on JobsBank advertisements.

What does the change mean? Anyone visiting JobsBank will automatically be rerouted to the MySkillsFuture site. Information saved on the JobsBank site, including company profiles, job postings and job applications, will all be saved and transferred to MySkillsFuture. The new advertising guidelines, meanwhile, will require employers to keep advertisements posted for at least 14 days and to report what the salary for any given job will be.

• Implementation time frame: Immediate and ongoing. The changes took effect Monday.
• Who is affected:  Anyone accessing the JobsBank site, including employers, Singaporean citizens, permanent residents and foreign students looking for jobs through the National Job Bank.
• Business Impact: Employers do not need to take any immediate action because information saved on the JobsBank portal will automatically be transferred. Employers should anticipate that authorities will more closely scrutinize job postings, however, especially to ensure that the new rules are followed.

Background: The JobsBank online portal was launched in 2014 under Singapore’s Fair Consideration Framework, which is part of the government’s broader effort to bolster local employment in the workforce. Employers are required to use the JobsBank to post vacancies for positions paying less than 12,000 Singapore dollars (about US$8,800) per month. The JobsBank portal was recently folded into the MySkillsFuture site, which is an integrated, personalized one-stop portal designed to help Singaporean nationals, permanent residents and foreign tertiary students find jobs that align with their particular skillsets.

The Ministry of Manpower also released new guidelines for employers on how long advertisements must be posted and the inclusion of salary information. Under the new guidelines, (1) advertisements must be posted for at least 14 days; (2) employers may change details in their job postings, but must leave them posted for at least 14 days after changes are made; and (3) employers must disclose what the salary will be in the job posting and cannot hide salary information.

BAL Analysis: With the change, the JobsBank site will not only be a portal for job searches, but will now provide users with more information on training, education and employment needs. This is expected to help match job seekers with open jobs that are appropriate for them. Employers should pay special attention to the new advertising requirements, as they are likely to be strictly enforced.

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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