Singapore's MOM investigating 47 individuals for employment-related offences in F&B sector

Of these, 20 were found to have infringed the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.

A total of 47 individuals in Singapore's food & beverages sector have been found to be potentially involved in illegal employment and deployment offences, the Ministry of Manpower shared on Wednesday (26 July 2023).

A majority of these individuals were illegally working as cooks, kitchen assistants or wait staff, and investigations are ongoing, the Ministry said.

These individuals were identified as part of enforcement operations conducted at 35 F&B establishments in Clarke Quay and Little India from 12 to 19 July. Of these, 20 were found to have infringed the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA). 

Commenting on the inspections, Shireen Banu, Director of Inspection at MOM’s Foreign Manpower Management Division, said: "MOM regularly inspects companies, such as those in the F&B sector, for compliance with our employment regulations. This ensures that companies abide by fair and responsible employment practices, and employees are protected under our laws. Offenders will face penalties."

Under the EFMA, employers are only allowed to hire foreign employees with valid work passes. It is also an offence to illegally deploy workers to work for any other persons or businesses, other than the official employer.

MOM has reaffirmed that employers who hire foreign employees without valid work passes can be fined between S$5,000 and S$30,000, jailed for up to 12 months, or both, per charge. They will also be barred from employing foreigners.

At the same time, foreigners who undertake employment without a valid work pass may be liable to a fine of up to S$20,000, imprisonment for up to two years, or both. Once convicted, they will be permanently barred from working in Singapore.

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