Dear Key Appointment Holders and EA Personnel,
We would like to inform all Employment Agencies (EAs) of the revisions to the Employment Agencies Licence Conditions (EALCs), which will take effect from 1 October 2020 onwards. The new EALCs are based on the Tripartite Guidelines for Fair Employment Practices which all employers, including EAs and your clients, are already required to adhere to. The new EALCs will require EAs to uphold fair recruitment practices when helping their clients to fill vacancies, and ensure fairness in the labour market. By allowing errant EAs to be taken to task for breaching the new EALCs, this will also level the playing field and increase the professionalism of the EA sector. EAs that are committed to strengthening their local recruitment practices and capabilities may be eligible for Government enterprise support schemes.
2. The following table summarises the new EALCs, which are applicable to EAs with Comprehensive and Select licences, but will not apply to the referral and placement of Foreign Domestic Workers (FDWs).
| New Licence Conditions | |
| EALCs #4A.(a) and #4A.(b) | [New] EA to apprise employers of the prevailing guidelines on recruitment in the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices and retain documentary proof. |
| EALC #4A.(c) | [New] EA cannot post discriminatory job ads. |
| EALC #4A.(d) and Annex A1 | [New] EA must make reasonable effort to attract Singaporeans for every job order from the employer, unless the employer instructs otherwise. |
| EALC #4A.(e) and #4A.(f) | [New] EA will shortlist and refer applicant(s) to the employer based on merit and not discriminate the applicant(s) on ground(s) which is irrelevant to the job position. EA will retain information on the recruitment process. |
| EALC #5.(b) | [Amended] EAs to submit returns to MOM on referrals and placements. Reduction from 10 to 4 fields compared to existing requirements. 1. NRIC/FIN of jobseekers 2. Company Unique Entity Number (UEN) 3. Date of referral 4. Singapore Standard Occupational Classification (SSOC) 2015 code of the job position |
3. For more details on the new EALCs, please refer to the set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). The new EALCs are available on MOM’s website: https://www.mom.gov.sg/employmentagencies/key-facts
4. If you have any further questions, or require further clarifications, please write to us at MOM_FMMD@mom.gov.sg.
Yours sincerely,
Elayne Ong
For Commissioner for Employment Agencies
Foreign Manpower Management Division
Ministry of Manpower