Nudging Employers to Offer Progressive Medical Benefits such as Reimbursement Beyond Consultation Fees or Paid Sick Leave Without Medical Certificate

Dr Hamid Razak asked the Acting Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry will consider mandating or further encouraging employers to offer progressive medical benefits, such as reimbursement beyond consultation fees or paid sick leave without the need for a medical certificate.

The Acting Minister for Manpower (Ms Jasmin Lau): As part of the ongoing Employment Act review, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and our tripartite partners are actively considering measures to improve workplace healthcare practices. This includes studying how to encourage employers to offer progressive healthcare benefits that go beyond baseline statutory requirements, such as reimbursement of medical expenses beyond consultation fees and paid sick leave without requiring a medical certificate.

Many employers already offer such benefits today. In 2024, MOM's Conditions of Employment Survey found that about 30% of the respondent employers offered paid sick leave without requiring a medical certificate. This was an increase from the previous year of about 27% in 2023. Many employers also reimburse employees’ medical expenses beyond consultation fees.

Beyond these benefits, MOM strongly encourages employers to support employees in managing their health proactively. This includes giving employees time-off for annual Healthier SG check-ins and preventive care appointments and providing portable medical benefits that allow employees to retain healthcare coverage when they change employers.

MOM will continue working with tripartite partners to encourage wider adoption of progressive health practices across all employer segments. We will update on the Employment Act review in due course.

Mr Speaker: Dr Hamid Razak.

Dr Hamid Razak (West Coast-Jurong West): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Acting Minister for her reply. Some employers, after I had posted this Parliamentary Question that I am going to ask on social media, reached out to me and said that their main hesitancy in offering such progressive benefits come because of the cost that they are worried about, on top of the statutory paid leave obligations that some of these employers may have. So, beyond encouragement, how will the Ministry give due credit to such employers and also, consider how the statutory framework itself can be strengthened so that we do not add on cost to some of these employers that are being progressive in giving these benefits to their employees?

Ms Jasmin Lau: I thank the Member for his question. Our objective is not to increase the financial obligations of employers, but rather for employers to be able to offer more flexibility for their employees to use their medical benefits. So, for example, if employers wish to give a fixed allowance for medical expenses, then employees can use this for consultations, medications and treatments, and so on. So, not too fixed, but hopefully the flexibility helps. Therefore, we aim to encourage voluntary adoption of these progressive healthcare practices rather than just adjusting the statutory baseline obligations for employers.