Countries/Singapore/Hiring guide
Southeast Asia · Hiring guide · 2026
This page is the labour-law and payroll stack for multinational employers hiring in Singapore. It is not a salary survey.
In-country employment is how you run this stack without a Singapore company. A foreign hire still needs a work pass.
To hire without incorporating first, use in-country employment in Singapore.
Contracts
The Employment Act covers most employees. Managers and executives above a salary threshold sit outside some hour and overtime provisions. Classify the role before you copy a workmen overtime clause into a country-manager offer.
Issue key employment terms in writing within the statutory period. A missing item is an MOM problem, not a formatting preference.
Probation is contractual. Notice during probation is whatever the contract says, subject to Employment Act minima for covered employees. Put both in the offer.
Hours
For employees covered by the hour provisions, ordinary hours are generally 8 a day and 44 a week (or 9 and 44 on a five-day week). Overtime is typically 1.5 times the hourly rate, with a monthly overtime cap.
Covered employees are entitled to one rest day per week. Work on a rest day is paid at statutory multiples depending on who requested it.
Annual leave, sick leave, and hospitalisation leave are statutory for covered employees once qualifying service is met. Shared parental leave increased in 2026 — check the MOM table for the child's date of birth.
Wage floor
Singapore does not set a general monthly minimum wage. CPF ceilings and Progressive Wage Model sector floors are the statutory numbers that actually move payroll.
| Rule | Figure |
|---|---|
| General minimum wage | None |
| Progressive Wage Model | Sector floors for listed occupations (cleaning, security, food services, and others) |
| CPF ordinary-wage ceiling | S$8,000 / month from 1 January 2026 |
| CPF additional-wage ceiling | S$102,000 minus ordinary wages subject to CPF for the year |
Foreign employees on EP, S Pass, or Work Permit do not contribute to CPF. Skills Development Levy still applies. Do not budget 17% employer CPF on an expatriate seat.
Exit
Notice is contractual, subject to Employment Act minima for covered employees. Payment in lieu is the usual alternative.
There is no single statutory retrenchment-pay formula for all employees. MOM expects responsible employment practices, notice to MOM above a headcount trigger, and a genuine redundancy. Put a contractual formula in the handbook if you want certainty.
When a foreign employee leaves, cancel the pass within MOM's deadline. Keeping a pass alive after the job has ended is its own offence.
Questions
Other markets
Reviewed 11 September 2026
This is a hiring briefing for multinational employers, not legal advice. Statutory rates move by city, province, and sector. Confirm the place of work before you issue an offer.
Sources
Tell us the city, the role, and whether this is a local contract or a search.
