The Employment Act 1968 (Employment Act) is Singapore’s primary employment legislation that prescribes the basic terms and working conditions for all types of employees (including part-time, contract, and temporary employees). The Employment Act applies to both Singaporeans and international workers in Singapore.

Companies must make sure that they are staying compliant to avoid a fine or losing talented candidates. This includes following Singapore staffing and recruiting regulations to find the right candidates for open positions.

Recruiting in Singapore

There are several ways to handle the hiring process for your Singapore business, including:

  • Posting job advertisements online: Most candidates will look for regional positions online, while local positions are more likely to be in the newspaper.
  • Attending job or career fairs: More people are attending job fairs today, which will allow you to do on-the-spot interviews. These events are also a great avenue to hire for skill-based jobs.
  • Recruiting on campuses: Many universities will let you come to campus for interviews or recruitment talks if you want to hire graduates or post-graduates.

Laws against discrimination in Singapore

The Ministry of Manpower has guidelines for fair hiring and recruiting practices, particularly regarding the following protected characteristics: age, nationality, sex, marital status, pregnancy status, caregiving responsibilities, race, religion, language, disability, and mental health conditions.

For example, you should always consider skills, experience, and ability to perform the job over age, race, gender, religion, family status, or disability. Make sure you let the job applicants understand the selection criteria, and update the requirements frequently to ensure that they’re relevant.

To avoid discrimination, don’t list any of the protected characteristics listed above in a job advertisement unless you can justify their necessity. Stick to questions relevant to the job requirements during interviews and tests, and ensure that you ask for personal data only for administrative purposes.

Singapore employment laws

Singapore’s employment compliance — which covers working hours, rest days, annual leave, and holidays — is outlined in its Employment Act.

  • The normal working hours of employees covered under Part IV of the Employment Act depend on their workweek. The daily limit is eight hours when working more than five days, or nine hours when working five days or less. The weekly maximum is 44 hours. You must confirm the hours of work in the employment contract.
  • Employees covered under Part IV of the Employment Act can't work more than 72 overtime hours per month.
  • Employees covered under Part IV of the Employment Act are entitled to one unpaid rest day each week. The employer typically determines the scheduled day.
  • Employees are entitled to paid annual leave under the Employment Act after completing at least three months of service. Annual leave entitlement starts at seven days of paid leave after one year of service, increasing annually to 14 days from the eighth year. It's common practice for employers to provide 14 days of annual leave as a starting entitlement, with higher allowances for professional and senior hires.

Onboarding in Singapore

Before you officially hire employees in Singapore, it is best practice to draft an employment contract that outlines the details of the agreement between you and your future employee. Spell out vacation days, expected working hours, and any supplemental benefits you’ll offer.

Include the exact position and duties the employee will perform as well as the terms of termination for the employee’s reference, which gives them clear expectations of the workplace culture. It’s also important to have a separate policy in place that establishes a code of conduct.

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