Haze: protecting workers is not optional, and platform workers should not be penalised for delays, says Jasmin Lau

The National Wages Council’s 2026/2027 guidelines recommend that workers earning up to S$2,800 a month get a 6% to 8% wage increase or at least S$120, with a new category for firms that have not done well and are unprofitable, which should still give at least S$120. The guidelines, accepted by the Government but not mandatory, cover 1 December 2026 to 30 November 2027.

A CNA explainer, drawing on interviews with employment lawyers, sets out how the Employment Act protects employees who are pregnant or on maternity leave, including the bar on giving dismissal notice during maternity leave and the need for a genuine reason unrelated to the pregnancy, such as proven misconduct after a due inquiry. It cites MOM figures that 387 pregnancy-related wrongful dismissal claims were filed at TADM between April 2019 and 2025, and a September 2026 tribunal award of S$19,800 to a woman found to have been wrongfully dismissed.

The Institute for Adult Learning launched the Skills-First Framework for Action on 19 Oct, proposing 12 pilot initiatives to help employers hire, develop and promote workers based on skills rather than qualifications or previous titles. It was co-authored with SWDA, NTUC, SBF, SNEF and SUSS, and IAL will set up an observatory to study how well the practices work.

Soup Empire Holdings, which runs the Lao Huo Tang restaurant chain, still owes about $18,900 in CPF contributions for May to July. On 21 Oct the State Courts adjourned its case to 11 Nov so it can pay the rest.

With childcare leave now expanded, MOM has set out how it plans to help employers absorb the extra manpower gaps that come with it — announced 10 September 2026. The headline measure: employers get full reimbursement for the duration of child-related leave taken by their staff, intended to offset the cost of bringing in temporary…

In a Human Resources Online article written by TAFEP, employers preparing for the Workplace Fairness Act are told to assess all candidates against the same job-related criteria, ask for details such as NRIC and date of birth only at the job offer stage, and keep interview and hiring records for at least a year.