New hiring rules for employers, chiefly to consider Singaporeans first

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The Manpower Ministry on Monday announced new rules that require employers to consider Singaporeans fairly, before hiring skilled professional foreigners.

The new Fair Consideration Framework will take effect in August 2014.

Under the new rules, firms making new Employment Pass (EP) applications must advertise the relevant job vacancy to Singaporeans first for at least 14 days. This is administered by the Singapore Workforce and Development Agency (WDA).

Employers are encouraged to keep records of their interview process as proof that they've done due diligence in trying to look for a Singaporean worker.

If an EP is still needed, the employer will have to make a statutory declaration that a job advertisement with the national jobs bank had been made.

The ministry and other government agencies will also identify firms which have a disproportionately low level of Singaporeans at the PME (Professionals, Managers and Executives) level or have had repeated complaints of nationality-based discrimination.

These firms will be asked to provide the ministry with information such as organisation charts with nationality information, recruitment processes and staff grievance handling procedures.

If firms are not responsive towards improving their recruitment and training processes, the ministry may impose additional requirements.

They include - attesting that the firm will not displace any similarly employed Singaporean within 60 days before or after applying for an Employment Pass. Firms may also have their work pass privileges curtailed.

However, there are some exemptions. Small firms with 25 or fewer employees and jobs which pay a fixed monthly salary of S$12,000 or more, will not be subjected to the advertising requirement.

The Manpower Ministry said the new rules are not a "Hiring Singaporean First" policy but about fairness in hiring. The ministry said it expects firms to consider Singaporeans fairly for jobs, based on merit.

Firms will be given some lead time to transit for their existing pool of Employment Pass holders. Existing EP holders whose passes expire before January will receive a one-time renewal based on the existing EP criteria.

Those whose passes expire between January 1 and June 30, 2014 will receive a one-time renewal of up to one year based on the existing EP criteria. After 30 June 2014, all existing EP holders will have to meet the new criteria.

Separately from January, the qualifying salary for new EP applications will be raised from S$3,000 to S$3,300. The ministry said this is in line with rising salaries.