25 May 2021
Ref No: 250521 (1)
UEN: S97SS0046G
Under the latest advisory for SMMs at the workplace issued on 14 May 2021, employers are required to implement work-from-home (WFH) as the default arrangement. All employees whose roles can be performed from home must do so. Employers must provide the necessary facilities and direct their employees to work from home wherever possible. Only employees who are unable to work from home due to the nature of the work (e.g. the role requires access to equipment only accessible at the workplace) can continue to work on-site.
Firms would have received an email from postman.gov.sg signed off by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) to update their onsite manpower numbers on this portal (https://www.gobusiness.gov.sg/covid/). This is an official email from MTI.
To monitor the level of onsite workforce, all employers who carry out operations on-site must declare their on-site manpower details. Employers are required to declare this information by 28 May 2021, and update the information whenever there are significant changes. Regardless of the declared number of workers, it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure that all employees WFH if they are able to do so. Enforcement actions will still be taken against the employer, if workers who are able to WFH are found to be working onsite, even if the total number of workers onsite are at or below the declared number of workers.
Employers must ensure that adequate SMMs are in place at all times if they have employees who have to work onsite. These measures include:
- Staggering start times and allowing flexible workplace hours;
- No cross-deployment across workplaces or worksites;
- No social gatherings at the workplace;
- Meal breaks must be taken individually and at staggered times;
- Masks must be worn at the workplace at all times.
MOM and ASPRI urge employers and employees to adhere to the latest guidelines, in order to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission at the workplace. Breaches of workplace SMMs can be reported through our SnapSAFE app, and the identity of whistle-blowers will be kept strictly confidential.
MOM will be also be increasing inspections of workplaces to ensure that the latest guidelines are properly implemented. The full list of workplace SMMs can be found at http://go.gov.sg/smm.
Note: This is manpower declaration exercise. ASPRI Members who were already in operations since mid 2020, would have been operating under General Exemption with swab requirements for their foreign workers. Those with existing GE with swab requirements need not submit any GE application but select “Manpower Declaration” to update their on-site manpower numbers.
Please refer to the quick guide below on how to declare your on-site manpower details by 28 May 2021 at https://covid.gobusiness.gov.sg
Step 1: Under My Applications – General/Resumption, click on “Submit Manpower”
If you are a Marine Shipyard/Process Company or have an SRS account with SWAB EDB but do not see the “Submit Manpower” button, kindly contact COVID_GoBusiness@mti.gov.sg.
Step 2: Click on “Next” when prompted
Step 3: After you have finished keying in your manpower details, proceed to click on “Submit”
Note1: Workers who do not need to go for RRT should be submitted under “Non-Production Site”
Note2: For Manufacturing or Services employees working on Shipyards, the “Production Site” here is defined as the “Shipyards’ Production site”
For a more detailed guide on how to submit your Manpower Details for businesses, please refer to Guide for Manpower Declaration (M&O/Process and with Quota), specifically for the Marine/Process industry.
For assistance on manpower declaration, companies may refer to the following link – https://www.gobusiness.gov.sg/covid-faqs/manpower-declarations
For further queries, companies can reach out using the following: email at covid_gobusiness@mti.gov.sg or contact 6898 1800.
Our Warmest Regards,
ASPRI Secretariat
admin@aspri.com.sg