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Written Answer by Mr Lim Swee Say, Minister for Manpower, to Parliamentary Question on decline in average weekly paid overtime hours worked per employee

Employment practices
NOTICE PAPER NO. 767 OF 2017 FOR THE SITTING ON 01 AUGUST 2017
QUESTION NO. 563 FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

MP: Assoc Prof Randolph Tan

To ask Minister for Manpower (a) what are the reasons for the further decline in the average weekly paid overtime hours worked per employee; and (b) whether the general downward trend is expected to continue.

Answer
  1. From 2011 to 2016, the average weekly paid overtime hours worked per employee fell from 3.7 hours to 3.3 hours1. This is due to the drop in average weekly paid overtime hours worked by employees mainly in the Manufacturing, Administrative and Support Services, and Transportation and Storage sectors. 
  2. There are a number of reasons for this decline: productivity improvements, and tripartite effort to reduce the excessive overtime hours to ensure workers have sufficient rest. Economic transformation has also led to an increasing proportion of managers and executives in our workforce who are not eligible for paid overtime. 
  3. This decrease in paid overtime hours is in step with the overall trend of declining average usual hours worked per week. It has also been accompanied by continued growth in real median income of 3.1% per year from 2011 to 20162.

FOOTNOTE

  1. Source: Labour Market Survey, Manpower Research and Statistics Department, MOM. Data pertain to private sector establishments (each with at least 25 employees) and the public sector.
  2. Source: Comprehensive Labour Force Survey, Manpower Research and Statistics Department, MOM.