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Leave of Absence Support Programme (LOASP)

Employment practices
  1. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will provide support to help businesses and self-employed persons who are affected by the Leave of Absence (LOA) requirements due to COVID-19(1).
  2. Under the Leave of Absence Support Programme (LOASP), eligible employers can apply for $100 daily per affected worker for the required duration of paid LOA granted to the employee. Affected workers include Singapore Citizens (SC), Permanent Residents (PR), and Work Pass holders who travelled to mainland China on or before 31 January 2020, and who were placed on LOA upon their return to Singapore on or after 31 January 2020(2). Eligible employers will also qualify for levy waiver for affected foreign workers for the LOA period.
  3. Self-employed SCs and PRs who had travelled to mainland China on or before 31 January 2020, and placed themselves on LOA upon their return to Singapore on or after 31 January 2020 can also apply for the daily support of $100.
  4. Employers and self-employed persons should not apply for support if telecommuting arrangements are available for work to be performed remotely by affected persons.
  5. Employers and self-employed persons who wish to apply for support under LOASP should submit their applications here. Applications should only be submitted after the affected person has completed serving his/her LOA.
  6. For further queries or clarifications, please contact

Ministry of Manpower
MOM Contact Centre, Tel: (65) 6438 5122
Online Enquiry via this link: www.mom.gov.sg/feedback
Website: www.mom.gov.sg

(1) On 27 Jan 2020, MOE, MOH and MSF announced that employers in the healthcare, education and eldercare sectors should provide a 14-day LOA to workers who had been in China in the 14 days before returning to Singapore. On 31 Jan 2020, the LOA requirement was expanded to all workers returning from mainland China, viz.
a. Residents with recent travel history to mainland China within the last 14 days; and
b. Long-term pass holders (including Work Passes, Student Pass, Dependent Pass and Long-Term Visit Pass) with recent travel history to mainland China in the last 14 days.
Those with travel history to Hubei, or with PRC passports issued in Hubei, will be quarantined.
(2) For sectors covered by the advisories issued on 28 January 2020 (i.e. preschools and education, healthcare and eldercare), affected employees must be on LOA upon return to Singapore on or after 14 January 2020, and have travelled to mainland China on or before 28 Jan 2020.

Annex – Frequently asked questions:

1. What other conditions are there for employers to claim the $100 daily support?

  • Employers who wish to claim the $100 daily support for their affected workers must fulfil the following criteria:
  • Granted additional paid leave to the affected worker for the entire duration of LOA period, without requiring the worker to use his/her original paid leave entitlements provided under the terms of employment, or treating the duration of LOA as hospitalisation leave
  • Must have complied fully with LOA requirements
  • Must have obtained MOM’s prior approval for workers on Work Pass to enter Singapore after 2359 hours on 8 February 2020
  • Unable to have work performed remotely
  • Employee must be in employment as at 31 January and for the duration of LOA.

2. What documents do I require for the application for the $100 daily support?

For employers, please submit:

a. Proof of employment for affected workers

i. CPF Form 90 for December 2019 and January 2020 (only for locals); and,
ii. Itemised pay slip(s) for salary payment during LOA period

b. Proof of affected workers’ travel to mainland China
i. For workers not from PRC, scan of passport photo ID page, and entry and departure stamps from mainland China
ii. For workers from the People’s Republic of China (PRC), air tickets and/or boarding passes for travel between Singapore and mainland China (including transit stops)

For self-employed persons, please submit:

a. Proof of self-employed status:
i. Income tax returns or Notice of Assessment for Year of Assessment 2020

b. Proof of travel to mainland China
i. For applicants not from PRC, scan of passport photo ID page, and entry and departure stamps from mainland China

ii. For applicants from PRC, air tickets and/or boarding passes for travel between Singapore and mainland China (including transit stops)

3. What is the deadline for submission of applications?

Applications should be submitted within 90 days from the last day of the LOA.

4. My employee(s) had to travel to mainland China for business/personal reasons after 31 January 2020. Are we eligible for the LOASP?

The LOASP is intended to help employers and self-employed persons who were affected by the introduction of travel conditions announced on 31 Jan 2020. Individuals travelling to China after 31 January 2020 will not be eligible for the LOA support.