The Employment Act is the main statute governing employment in Singapore. It covers most employees regardless of nationality, and sets out the baseline for contracts, salary payment, leave, hours and termination.
A two-tier structure
The Act applies broadly, but a further part providing additional protections — covering matters such as hours of work, rest days and overtime — applies only to workmen and to non-workmen earning below a salary threshold. This means two employees at the same company can have materially different statutory protections depending on salary and role, which is unusual and frequently misunderstood.
- Requires key employment terms to be issued in writing to covered employees
- Sets rules on timing of salary payment and permissible deductions
- Provides minimum paid annual leave, sick leave and public holiday entitlements
- Governs notice periods and grounds for termination
Why it matters when hiring internationally
Singapore has no statutory minimum wage for the general workforce, which leads some employers to assume employment regulation is light. The Employment Act is quite specific about documentation, salary timing and leave, and the Ministry of Manpower enforces it actively. The written key employment terms requirement in particular catches out companies using a short offer letter.