Staggering your migrant workers’ rest days helps them enjoy their rest days safely and mitigates the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
The Safe Rest Day initiative helps migrant workers enjoy their rest days safely, and mitigates the risk of COVID-19 transmission with staggered rest days.
Employer’s responsibilities
You must provide your workers with at least 1 rest day per week. You can use Safe@Work to choose and stagger their designated rest days.
Employers are responsible for informing workers about their assigned rest days. You should also inform your workers to use SGWorkPass to check their assigned rest days.
Who is Safe Rest Days for
It applies to all workers residing in purpose-built dormitories (PBDs), factory-converted dormitories (FCDs), Construction Temporary Quarters (CTQs), Temporary Occupational Licence Quarters (TOLs), Temporary Living Quarters (TLQs) or government-arranged housing of allowed occupancy of 7 or more.
Safe Rest Days does not apply to workers staying in HDB flats or private residential properties.
What can workers do on their Safe Rest Days
Workers can:
Your workers can also participate in these activities on days other than their rest day.
Visit Recreation Centres (RCs)
Workers staying in dormitories
Workers staying in dormitories can apply for 2 exit passes per calendar week to visit their designated RCs as shown in SGWorkPass.
Duration of each exit pass is 3 hours + 1 hour travelling time.
Workers can apply for an exit pass using SGWorkPass or the Apply for dormitory exit pass form.
The worker must not be on any of these:
- Stay-Home-Notice
- Movement Restriction Order
Special Pass holders should approach their dormitory operator to arrange an exit timing to visit RCs. Find out more in the Guide for Special Pass holders to visit Recreation Centres.
Employers can make arrangements with their workers to provide point-to-point transport to visit the RCs.
Pre-visit testing requirements
To visit the RC, workers must produce a negative test result for either:
- Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test within 48 hours from visit.
- Antigen Rapid Test (ART) within 24 hours from visit. This can be from their mandatory ART between Rostered Routine Testing (RRT), or done at the RC.
Workers who meet pre-visit testing requirements can also do walk-ins to RCs, subject to occupancy limits.
If ART test result is positive
If your worker tested COVID-19 positive through the ART conducted at the RC, the managing agent at the RC will arrange transport to the Regional Medical Centre for your worker to undergo a confirmatory PCR test. The costs will be borne by MOM.
- Your worker must remain isolated until the PCR result is out.
- No public health action is needed for close contacts of the worker.
Things to take note when visiting the RCs
Workers must:
- Practise safe distancing and keep masks on.
- Carry their TraceTogether tokens at all times.
Organised excursions and pilot community visits
A pilot is ongoing for workers from selected dormitories to sign up for community visits. The dormitories must fulfil the following criteria:
- Good Safe Living Measures (SLM):
- Wear a mask correctly
- Maintain a 1-metre safe distance
- Avoid intermingling and crowding
- Practise good personal hygiene
- Workers to carry their TraceTogether token at all times and places
- No positive COVID-19 cases in the last 2 weeks from the planned date of visit
- At least 90% COVID-19 vaccination rates
Organised excursions and pilot community visits has a controlled itinerary and are available for vaccinated workers only. They will have to take an ART on the day of visit, and 3 days after their visit. ART test kits will be provided by the event organisers.
Employers and dormitory operators who are keen for their workers or residents to participate in the pilot community visits can indicate their interest at www.mom.gov.sg/efeedback.