It’s a tough period for many bosses in Singapore.
All of a sudden, Circuit Breaker appeared out of nowhere and they’re forced to shut down their businesses. For companies that can allow employees to work from home, the disruption is minimal. But for others, it’s almost a death sentence.
Especially when the Circuit Breaker, which was supposed to last for one month, was extended to two months.
Which leads to this:
170 Companies Found Operating Even When They’re Non-Essential
From 7 April to 5 May, MOM has been conducting spot checks on workplaces.
They conducted over 15,000 inspections, and most were compliant: those businesses that were allowed to continue have put in the necessary safe-distancing measures, though there were 29 workplaces that were fined for not having the safe-distancing measures in their workplaces.
But how about businesses that were not supposed to be opened?
You’d have thought that Singapore companies would be law-by-law, right?
Well, no: Sovereigns exist in the world of business, too.
MOM found a whopping 170 non-essential businesses that had no approval to continue operating open.
However, not all were fined: 16 of them were fined a total of $16,000 (which means it could be $1,000 per company) while the others were let off with stern warnings.
29 Work Pass Holders Breached Circuit Breaker Measures or SHN Requirements
Between 13 April to 30 April, MOM also conducted checks on foreign workers through video calls and inspections, and 29 workers had their work passes revoked and would be banned from working in Singapore permanently.
17 of them were found breaching Circuit Breaker measures, which includes eating, drinking and gathering in groups.
12 of them left their residences while on SHN.
Also, 9 employers would not be able to engage foreign workers after failing to ensure that their employees comply with the SHN requirements.
And MOM has a message to all businesses and workers: they’d continue to do spot checks.
So do what we’ve all learned in NS: don’t test the system.
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