Support measures for our lower-wage workers, through Progressive Wages, Workfare, Workcare and Workright.
No Singaporean will be left behind, especially our lower-wage workers. We will build a fair and inclusive society where lower-wage workers are accorded with the dignity and respect they deserve.
With the close support of our tripartite partners, we have made significant progress in uplifting our lower-wage workers over the past decade.
Today, up to 9 in 10 lower-wage workers are benefitting from the Progressive Wage moves.
Progressive Wage Model
The Progressive Wage Model (PWM) helps to increase wages of lower-wage workers through upgrading skills and improving productivity. More than 155,000 lower-wage workers are covered across nine sectors and occupations: cleaning, security, landscape, lift & escalator, retail, food services, waste management and administrators and drivers.
Download the poster on PWM for 2024 - Progressing Together
For employees:
For employers:
Local Qualifying Salary
Firms are required to pay all local workers at least the Local Qualifying Salary (LQS), or PWM wages where applicable, before they can hire any foreign worker. Over 105,000 full-time lower-wage workers are covered by the LQS requirement.
Progressive Wage Mark
Uplifting lower-wage workers requires a whole-of-society effort. The Progressive Wage Mark (PW Mark) helps consumers and corporate buyers identify and support progressive employers through their purchases.
Workfare Income Supplement Scheme
Introduced in 2007, Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) Scheme supplements the incomes and CPF savings of lower-wage Singaporean workers and encourages them to work regularly. Older workers aged 60 and above and all persons with disabilities will receive the highest payments.
Workfare Skills Support Scheme
The Workfare Skills Support (WSS) Scheme encourages lower-wage workers to upskill by providing training allowances and cash rewards.
Workright
Launched in 2012, Workright protects the employment rights of workers through public education and enforcement of the Employment Act and the CPF Act.
For employees: Check the Guide on Employment Laws to find out your employment rights.
For employers: Read the Employer Toolkit to find out how to comply with employment laws.
Workcare
Introduced in 2019, Workcare aims to improve the work environments of lower-wage workers and strengthen public appreciation for the work that they do.
In 2022, the Tripartite Standard on Advancing Well-Being of Lower-Wage Workers was launched, which specifies a set of good practices that employers should implement at the workplace to uplift the well-being of lower-wage workers.