Occupational Progressive Wages(OPW)
for administrators and drivers
Companies must meet the Occupational Progressive Wages and training requirements for administrators and drivers who are Singapore citizens or permanent residents.
Adult Learning Solution
What isOccupational Progressive Wages (OPW)?
Occupational Progressive Wages (OPW) was developed by the National Wages Council (NWC).
From 1 March 2023, employers must meet the OPW requirements in order to renew existing work passes or apply for new work passes.
Who it covers?
The OPW requirements cover all Singapore citizens and permanent residents who are:
- Full-time or part-time employees in administrative or driving roles on a contract of service, and
- Employed by firms which hire foreign workers.
From 1 March 2023, OPW will cover the following administrative and driving roles:
Administrators
- Administrative Assistants
- Administrative Executives
- Administrative Supervisors
Drivers
- General Drivers
- Specialized Drivers
Find out more about the duties and responsibilities of job roles that are covered under OPW using the Singapore Standard Occupational Classification (SSOC) Search.
Wage requirements
The OPW for administrators is a three-level career progression model while OPW for drivers is a two-level career progression model. They feature:
- Training requirements to ensure that administrators and drivers are equipped with the skills needed to carry out their job functions.
- Progressive wages set at each level to ensure that administrators and drivers are paid wages that commensurate with their skills and productivity.
The wage requirements recommended in the Tripartite Workgroup on Lower-Wage Workers’ (TWG-LWW) report, will take effect from 1 March 2023.
Wage requirements for part-time workers are pro-rated on a 44-hours basis. If the pro-rated part-time wage requirement is lower than the Local Qualifying Salary part-time wage requirement of $9.00/hour, the part-time wage requirement of $9.00/hour will apply instead.
In 2025, the NWC will discuss and recommend the OPW wage requirements for 30 June 2026 and later.
Source: Ministry of Manpower (MOM)Employers must ensure that their Singapore citizen and PR administrators and drivers meet the OPW training requirements of attaining:
- At least 1 Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) Statement of Attainment, with no restriction on which WSQ course can be taken; or
- An in-house training programme.
ALS Singapore offer courses which will enable food service companies and their staff to meet the mandatory requirements
Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) Statement of Attainment
Click here to see all our courses
Training requirements
Employers must ensure that their Singapore citizen and PR administrators and drivers meet the OPW training requirements of attaining:
- At least 1 Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) Statement of Attainment, with no restriction on which WSQ course can be taken; or
- An in-house training programme.
The in-house training programme must be guided by training objectives, training modality, key training tasks and training duration to meet the training requirements. When required, employers are expected to show supporting documentation on their in-house training programme and records of workers who attended the trainings.
Employers will be given a grace period to comply with the OPW training requirements:
- For new hires: six months from the new hire’s date of employment.
- For existing employees: one year from when the OPW takes effect in March 2023; up to 29 February 2024.
Through proper training, administrators and drivers will be able to increase their productivity and skillsets.
