SINGAPORE: A laboratory has been charged with failing to pay Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions for some of its employees.
In response to CNA’s queries, the CPF Board and Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said on Tuesday (Aug 19) that it is aware of the missing contributions by Reste Laboratories and that the case is before the court.
“Through enforcement efforts, the CPF Board has recovered a portion of the CPF arrears and will continue to follow up with the company to recover the remaining arrears,” they added.
According to charge sheets, Reste Laboratories is accused of failing to pay CPF contributions for 10 employees. One employee is allegedly owed contributions for three months.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is aware of “possible salary arrears” and is investigating the company for offences under the Employment Act.
It advised affected employees to file a claim with the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM), which will assist them with their claims.
According to its website, Reste Laboratories, also known as ResteLab, is a clinical diagnostic laboratory that occupies a 20,000 sq ft facility in Toa Payoh. It was established in 2016.
A former employee told CNA that he had lodged a complaint with the CPF Board earlier this year.
CNA has contacted Reste Laboratories for comment.
Employers must ensure that CPF contributions are paid on time – they are due at the end of the month – and communicate payment dates to employees, MOM stated on its website.
If employers are unable to pay CPF contributions on time, they must pay the outstanding contributions as soon as possible and prioritise them among the company’s outstanding payments, MOM said.
Employers should inform employees beforehand if they are unable to pay their CPF contributions on time. Employees should also be told the reasons for the late payment and when they can expect to be paid.
Employees have the right to check with employers, ask for an explanation and when they can expect payments if the contributions are not paid on time.
If contributions are not paid by the 14th of the following month, employers may be charged late payment interest starting from the first day of the following month after contributions are due.
Failing to pay CPF contributions can lead to fines of S$1,000 to S$5,000 per offence, or up to six months in jail, or both. The maximum jail time and range of fines are doubled for repeat offenders.
