Must an employer pay for sending an S Pass holder home?

Who is responsible for sending back an S Pass holder home?

All employers who wish to bring in foreign employees are required to bear the full costs of employing them, including the cost of repatriation. Unless the pass holder gives consent, the employer is responsible for sending an Employment Pass or S Pass holder home at the end of employment.

If consent is given, it has to explicitly state that the pass holder agrees to pay for repatriation costs. The pass holder must sign the document to acknowledge consent.

A clause in the employment contract would suffice if the contract is signed by the pass holder. However, a clause in the company’s HR policy may not suffice if the pass holder does not sign the document.

Employers should settle all outstanding obligations, such as salary payments, before the employee leaves Singapore.