Progressive Wage Model for the Food Services Sector

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01

What is it

The Food Services Progressive Wage Model (PWM) affects Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents who are full-time or part-time employees in food services job roles in Quick Service (QS) food establishments or Full Service (FS) food establishments.

From 1 March 2023, employers must ensure that all food services workers that are Singapore Citizens and Singapore Permanent Residents (PR) meet the food services PWM training requirements of attaining at least 2 Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) Statement of Attainment, out of the list of approved WSQ training modules in order to renew existing work passes or apply for new work passes.

Source: Ministry of Manpower (MOM)

02

Who it covers

The PWM requirements cover Singapore citizens and permanent residents who are:

Full-time or part-time food services employees on a contract of service, working in a premise that has a Singapore Food Agency (SFA) Food Retail or Food Processing (Central Kitchen) licence, and

Employed by firms which hire foreign workers on mainstream work passes (i.e. Work Permit, S Pass, Employment Pass), regardless of whether the firm is classified under the Food and Beverage Service Activities Singapore Standard Industrial Classification (SSIC) or another SSIC.

Source: Ministry of Manpower (MOM)

01

What is it

The Food Services Progressive Wage Model (PWM) affects Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents who are full-time or part-time employees in food services job roles in Quick Service (QS) food establishments or Full Service (FS) food establishments.

From 1 March 2023, employers must ensure that all food services workers that are Singapore Citizens and Singapore Permanent Residents (PR) meet the food services PWM training requirements of attaining at least 2 Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) Statement of Attainment, out of the list of approved WSQ training modules in order to renew existing work passes or apply for new work passes.

02

Who it covers

The PWM requirements cover Singapore citizens and permanent residents who are:

Full-time or part-time food services employees on a contract of service, working in a premise that has a Singapore Food Agency (SFA) Food Retail or Food Processing (Central Kitchen) licence, and

Employed by firms which hire foreign workers on mainstream work passes (i.e. Work Permit, S Pass, Employment Pass), regardless of whether the firm is classified under the Food and Beverage Service Activities Singapore Standard Industrial Classification (SSIC) or another SSIC.

Adept Academy offers a comprehensive suite of modules, which will enable food service companies and their staff to meet the mandatory training requirements. All resident food services workers covered under the Food Services PWM are required to attain at least two (2) WSQ training modules aligned to the endorsed Technical Skills & Competencies (TSCs) based on their job role.

Job Roles

Waiter

Waiter Supervisor

Manager

Counter Attendant / Stall Assistant

Kitchen Assistant

Cook / Senior Cook

Recommended Modules

Customer Service Excellence L1
Food Safety Course L1
Workplace Safety and Health for Food and Beverage Operations L2
Food and Beverage Service L1

Customer Service Excellence L1
Food Safety Course L1
Workplace Safety and Health for Food and Beverage Operations L2
Productivity Optimization for Food and Beverages Operations L2
Systems and Work Process Improvement L1

Customer Service Excellence L3
Workplace Safety and Health for Food and Beverage Operations L3 (coming soon*)
Productivity Optimization for Food and Beverages Operations L4
Systems and Work Process Improvement L3
Food Safety Course L3

Customer Service Excellence L1
Food Safety Courses L1
Workplace Safety and Health for Food and Beverage Operations L2
Food and Beverage Service L1

Food Safety Course L1
Workplace Safety and Health for Food and Beverage Operations L2
Food Waste Disposal and Reduction L2

Food Services PWM

The PWM for Food Service Industry will be implemented from 1 March 2023. The food services PWM will cover two categories of food services job roles:

Category A

This includes Quick Service (QS) food establishments, including food courts, eating houses, food kiosks, and fast-food outlets where customers are manually collecting their food and drink orders from food service counters.

Supermarkets that have ready-to-eat food stations.

Category B

Full-Service (FS) food establishments, which are establishments that have wait staff such as waiters or banquet servers and are not under Category A.

Caterers
Central kitchens

Training requirements

Singaporean and PR food service workers need to minimally attend at least 2 Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) training module out of the list of approved courses to fulfil their Food Services PWM training requirements.

You can also conduct in-house WSQ training modules if these modules have the prefix “FSS” in the accompanying Technical Skills & Competencies (TSC) code.

Employers will get a grace period to fulfill the food services PMW training requirements:

For new employees: Six months from their date of employment

For existing employees: Until 29 February 2024

By attending proper training, food services employees would be able to increase their productivity and offer good food services experiences to customers as well.

Source: Ministry of Manpower (MOM)

Other Important Information

MOM requires employers to declare which PWM job role their food services worker(s) are working in based on the corresponding job descriptions below. The declaration can be done via the Occupational Employment Dataset (OED).

If a worker performs multiple job roles, e.g., food services and delivery functions, and spends majority (i.e. more than 50%) of his/her working time in the food services job function, he/she should be classified as a food services worker and be paid the applicable PWM wage.

Source: Recommendations Of The Tripartite Cluster For Food Services Industry On Introducing Progressive Wage Model For The Food Services Sector

Training requirements

Singaporean and PR food service workers need to minimally attend at least 2 Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) training module out of the list of approved courses to fulfill their Food Services PWM training requirements.

You can also conduct in-house WSQ training modules if these modules have the prefix “FSS” in the accompanying Technical Skills & Competencies (TSC) code.

Employers will get a grace period to fulfill the food services PMW training requirements:

For new employees: Six months from their date of employment

For existing employees: Until 29 February 2024

By attending proper training, food services employees would be able to increase their productivity and offer good food services experiences to customers as well.

Phased implementation of food services PWM

MOM will give employers six months from March 2023 to August 2023 to adjust to the food services wage requirements.

During this time, MOM will focus on educating employers instead of enforcement. Employers who do not comply with the requirements will not have their work pass privileges suspended during this transitional period.

Source: Ministry of Manpower (MOM)

Are my part timers affected by the implementation of the PWM Model wage and training requirements?

Yes, The PWM requirements cover Singapore citizens and permanent residents who are full-time or part-time food services employees on a contract of service, working in a premise that has a Singapore Food Agency (SFA) Food Retail or Food Processing (Central Kitchen) licence.

Source: Ministry of Manpower (MOM)