Coronavirus: Singapore mulls punishing companies for not following social distancing, telecommuting rules

More than 30 companies have reportedly been ordered to stop work after it was found that they hadn’t been following safe-distancing measures

The government has said it will be an offence for employers not to put in place telecommuting measures where the nature of the work permits it

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A man wearing a face mask as a preventive measure against coronavirus in Singapore. Photo: AFP

Published: 1:57pm, 1 Apr 2020Updated: 9:27pm, 1 Apr 2020

Singapore is working on potential penalties for companies that don’t follow regulations on social distancing and telecommuting during the coronavirus crisis, the country’s manpower minister said.

Currently only some 40 per cent of workers in the city’s Central Business District are following government directives to work from home, Minister for Manpower Josephine Teo said on Wednesday.

“This is not nearly as far as we need to go,” she said. “We want to get the message out to companies that it’s in your own interest that you minimise human contact.”

Last week the government ordered more than 30 companies to stop work immediately after it found they hadn’t been following safe-distancing measures, according to The Straits Times. It will be an offence for employers not to put in telecommuting measures where the nature of the work permits it, the authorities have said.

Only about 40 per cent of workers in Singapore’s Central Business District are following social distancing guidelines. Photo: Bloomberg

As far as penalties for companies that don’t follow the guidelines, “the regulations are being worked out,” Teo said on Wednesday.

“I want to emphasise this: employers must allow your employees to work from home as far as reasonably practicable. This applies to all workplaces regardless of size and it should be for all times and all days, and not some times and some days,” she was quoted by Today Online as saying.