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Written Answer by Minister for Manpower Dr Tan See Leng to PQ on Complaints Against Employment Agencies for Obscuring Important Information of MDWs in Each of Last Five Years

Foreign manpower

NOTICE PAPER NO. 549 OF 2021 FOR THE SITTING ON 26 JULY 2021 
QUESTION NO. 904 FOR WRITTEN ANSWER 

MP: Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song

To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) in each of the last five years, how many employers have lodged complaints against employment agencies for having obscured important information such as the past employment records of migrant domestic workers; (b) what are the outcomes of any investigations that took place relating to these incidents; and (c) what redress or compensation is extended to employers who are found to have been victims of unlawful actions by employment agencies.

Answer

  1. Employment agencies (EAs) are required under the Employment Agency Act to provide accurate information relating to the employment of any person. They are further required under the licence conditions to furnish the employment history and biodata of Migrant Domestic Workers (MDWs) to prospective employers. 

  2. Between 2016 and 2020, out of 520,000 MDWs placed by EAs, a total of 30 complaints related to providing inaccurate or incomplete information were received from employers. 12 complaints either lacked sufficient information to substantiate the complaint, or were caused by misunderstandings between employers and EAs. 18 of them were investigated by MOM. Six resulted in composition fine or warning issued to the EA. No further action was taken for the remaining cases as the EAs were able to provide documentary evidence that the employer had been provided with the information on the MDW. 

  3. In cases where the MDW was unable to continue employment due to the EA’s failure to provide the relevant information accurately, the EA will have to either refund the fees paid by the employer, or provide a replacement MDW. 

  4. The provision of accurate information to prospective employers is important to facilitate informed decision-making by employers. MOM takes every complaint seriously and will take enforcement action against the EA if the complaint is found to be substantiated.