SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has revoked the work passes of four people and suspended the work pass privileges of six employers for breaching Leave of Absence (LOA) requirements put in place to manage the novel coronavirus outbreak.
All workers with recent travel history to mainland China are required to serve a mandatory 14-day LOA upon their arrival in Singapore, as part of Government efforts to manage the evolving coronavirus situation.
AdvertisementAdvertisementBetween Feb 4 and Feb 8, four work pass holders were caught working at their workplaces during their LOA periods, the ministry said in a press release on Sunday (Feb 9).
"As part of ongoing efforts to ensure that work pass holders placed on mandatory LOA abide by the requirements, MOM has been conducting regular random checks through inspections, telephone or video calls," said the release.
[h=3]READ: All workers with travel history to China must seek approval before entering Singapore - MOM[/h][h=3]READ: Employers must notify MOM of workers returning from China ahead of leave of absence[/h] AdvertisementAdvertisementThe four work pass holders have had their work passes revoked and were repatriated within 24 hours, said the ministry.
"These workers have also been banned from working in Singapore permanently," it added.
The ministry also found two permanent residents working at their workplaces during their LOA.
"Although citizens and PRs are not subject to a mandatory LOA requirement, MOM will still hold employers responsible for ensuring that those who need to be on LOA stay away from the workplace," it said.
MOM has suspended for two years the work pass privileges of the six employers involved in the breaches.
Employers and employees have a "joint duty" to ensure that employees behave responsibly during their Leave of Absence periods, said the ministry.
"MOM will not hesitate to revoke the work passes and withdraw work pass privileges against errant employers or employees," it added.
Employers must obtain MOM’s approval for all work pass holders with travel history to mainland China within the last 14 days, before the employee can enter or return to Singapore.
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