Employers should bear cost of haze-related work suspensions, not employees: Dinesh Vasu Dash

Employers are free to adopt additional measures that are specific to their needs, Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash said.

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Published Nov 03, 2026, 01:45 PM

Updated Nov 03, 2026, 01:45 PM

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SINGAPORE – Employers should bear the cost of any short-term or ad hoc work suspensions due to the haze, and must not make deductions from workers’ salaries or leave entitlements, said Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash on Nov 3.

Only if business operations are suspended for prolonged periods should employers discuss appropriate arrangements with the union and their employees, he added.

Dinesh was responding in Parliament to questions filed by MPs regarding the impact of the haze on vulnerable workers – including those who work outdoors – and the protections available to them.

Platform delivery workers were among those highlighted.

Charlene Chen (Tampines GRC) asked if the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) would assess the impact of the haze on the earnings and health of such workers, who may have had to minimise their time on the roads in line with health advisories.

She also asked if the ministry would consider protecting their incomes or providing other forms of support.

In response, Minister of State for Manpower Foo Cexiang said MOM has advised platform operators and delivery workers on measures they should adopt during the haze.

These include operators sending reminders to workers to rest and stay hydrated. He added that operators should also not penalise workers if they take more time to complete deliveries during this period, whether by reducing incentives, withholding job allocations, or deducting pay.

Platform delivery workers who are facing financial difficulties because of reduced deliveries are also advised to approach Social Service Offices for assistance, said Foo, who noted that protecting these workers’ health and safety is “paramount”.

Rather than prescribing directions tailored to different sectors, Dinesh said MOM’s guidelines regarding the haze apply to all sectors.

On Oct 20, the ministry had said that employers should adjust outdoor work activities throughout the day based on the 1-hour PM2.5 air quality readings. The PSI forecast should be used to plan outdoor work for the following day.

Employers are free to adopt additional measures that are specific to their needs, Dinesh added.

“MOM will continue to check employers’ haze protective measures during worksite inspections, including whether they have taken into account the changing air quality.”

Similarly, contractors providing outdoor services must comply with MOM’s advisories to keep their workers safe from the health risks posed by the haze, he said.

Responding to labour MP Wan Rizal (Jalan Besar GRC), Dinesh acknowledged that complying with these directives may result in contractors having higher operating costs, as well as facing challenges in meeting contractual requirements.

In light of this , he called for understanding and flexibility on the part of those procuring services . He also cited a tripartite advisory, which already states that service buyers should allow for “reasonable changes” to bid prices if they can be justified, such as in the case of unforeseeable circumstances leading to higher operating costs.

Aqil Hamzah is a transport journalist at The Straits Times. He is also interested in issues related to crime and technology.

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人力部国务部长迪内什·瓦苏·达什表示，雇主可以根据自身需要自由采取其他措施。

图片来源：商业时报

发布于 2026 年 11 月 3 日下午 1:45

更新于2026年11月3日下午1:45

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新加坡——人力部政务部长迪内什·瓦苏·达什于11月3日表示，雇主应承担因雾霾造成的任何短期或临时停工的费用，不得从工人的工资或休假权利中扣除。

他补充说，只有当企业运营长期暂停时，雇主才应该与工会及其员工讨论适当的安排。

迪内什在议会回答议员们提出的问题时，谈到了雾霾对弱势工人（包括户外工作者）的影响以及他们可以获得的保护措施。

平台配送员也位列重点关注对象之列。

淡滨尼集选区议员陈嘉琳询问人力部是否会评估雾霾对这些工人的收入和健康的影响，这些工人可能不得不根据卫生建议尽量减少在路上的时间。

她还询问该部门是否会考虑保障他们的收入或提供其他形式的援助。

对此，人力部政务部长傅策祥表示，人力部已就雾霾期间平台运营商和外卖员应采取的措施向他们提出建议。

这些措施包括运营商提醒工人休息并保持水分充足。他还补充说，如果工人在这段时间内完成配送所需时间更长，运营商也不应惩罚他们，无论是减少奖励、扣留工作分配还是扣除工资。

Foo表示，由于外卖订单减少而面临经济困难的平台外卖员也应向社会服务办公室寻求帮助，并指出保护这些外卖员的健康和安全是“至关重要的”。

Dinesh表示，人力部关于雾霾的指导方针适用于所有行业，而不是针对不同行业制定不同的指导方针。

10月20日，该部门曾表示，用人单位应根据每小时PM2.5空气质量读数调整全天的户外工作活动。应参考PSI预测值来规划次日的户外工作。

迪内什补充说，雇主可以根据自身需要自由采取其他措施。

“人力部将继续在工作场所检查中检查雇主的雾霾防护措施，包括他们是否考虑到了不断变化的空气质量。”

他还表示，同样地，提供户外服务的承包商必须遵守人力部的建议，以保障工人免受雾霾带来的健康风险。

针对劳工议员 Wan Rizal（惹兰勿刹集选区）的质询，Dinesh 承认，遵守这些指令可能会导致承包商运营成本上升，并且在满足合同要求方面面临挑战。

鉴于此，他呼吁服务采购方展现理解和灵活性。他还援引了一份三方咨询文件，该文件指出，如果情况合理，例如出现导致运营成本上升的不可预见情况，服务购买方应允许对投标价格进行“合理调整”。

阿基尔·哈姆扎是《海峡时报》的交通记者。他也对犯罪和科技相关议题感兴趣。

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