Progressive Wage Model Expanded to more sectors

What is Progressive Wage Model?

The Progressive Wage Model (PWM) helps to increase wages of workers through upgrading skills and improving productivity. It is implemented via government levers in the cleaning, security and landscape sectors.

The PWM covers Singapore citizens and Singapore permanent residents (PRs) in the cleaning and security sectors, as well as landscape companies on NParks’ Landscape Company Register.

Employers are encouraged to use these principles of progressive wage for your foreign cleaners, security officers and landscape maintenance employees.

Note: From 1 September 2022, the following will be implemented through employers’ eligibility for work passes:

PWM in the cleaning, security, landscape, and retail sectors
Extension of the PWM to in-house cleaners, security officers and landscape maintenance employees
Local Qualifying Salary (LQS) requirement

Firms hiring foreign workers must comply with the PWM requirements for local employees covered by the respective PWMs and the Local Qualifying Salary (LQS) requirements for all other local employees, in order to renew existing work passes or apply for new work passes.

ALL retail employees, whose duties match the job descriptions stated by the Ministry of Manpower below, must attend training regardless of their salary range.

Expansion of Progressive Wage Approach and Coverage

Expand Sectoral Progressive Wages (PWs) to retail, food services and waste management.
Extend existing cleaning, security and landscape Sectoral PWs to in-house local workers.
Introduce Occupational PWs for administrators and drivers.
Introduce new requirement where firms employing foreign workers have to pay at least the relevant Sectoral or Occupational PWs to local workers in applicable job roles, and at least the Local Qualifying Salary (LQS) to all other local workers.

Progressive Wage Model Requirements

Progressive Wage Model Cleaning Industry Requirements

Cleaning companies must ensure that its Singapore citizen and PR cleaners meet the PWM’s training requirements. Training is also mandatory for cleaning business licence application.

The WSQ Environmental Cleaning framework offers three progressive Environmental Cleaning Certificates:

WSQ Certificate in Environmental Cleaning
WSQ Higher Certificate in Environmental Cleaning
WSQ Advanced Certificate in Environmental Cleaning

The WSQ Certificates cater to different job levels such as cleaning staff, cleaning team leaders, and cleaning supervisors.

Progressive Wage Model Security Industry Requirements

Security companies must ensure that its Singapore citizen and PR security officers meet the PWM’s training/licensing requirements. Security officers can increase their wages by upgrading their skills through security officer courses.

Progressive Wage Model Food & Beverage Industry Requirements

F&B companies must ensure that its all their employees meet the PWM’s training/licensing requirements. Under the SAFE framework, All food handlers in non-retail food establishments will be required to attend and pass the WSQ Food Safety Course Level 1. Food handlers in existing non-retail food establishment can start attending the WSQ Food Safety Course Level 1 now in order to meet the requirements in January 2023.

There will be no change to the current training requirements for food handlers in retail food establishments. Find out more about the Food Safety Level 1 course (WSQ Basic Food Hygiene Course).

Progressive Wage Model Retail Industry Requirements

The retail PWM is a five-level career progression model. It features:

Specific training requirements that tap on the Skills Framework for Retail. This ensures that retail workers are equipped with the skills needed to carry out their job functions.
Progressive wages are set at each level to ensure that retail workers are paid wages that are commensurate with their skills and productivity.

For more information, see Progressive Wage Model on Retail Sector

Implementation of Sectoral PWs in New Sectors:

Retail from 1 September 2022
Food Services from 1 March 2023
Waste Management from 1 July 2023

Implementation of Existing Sectoral PWs to in-house workers:

From September 1 2022, he existing Sectoral PWs for cleaning, security, and landscape will be extended to cover local in-house cleaners, security officers and landscape maintenance workers. Currently, these Sectoral PWs are only applicable to local workers in licensed or registered firms.