Hire in Singapore
Access Singapore's world-class financial, tech, and professional talent without navigating CPF, COMPASS Employment Pass scoring, MOM compliance, and the Fair Consideration Framework alone. Vectis handles it all — onboard in 24 hours.
Quick Facts
Singapore Employment Law Guide
A practical overview of Singapore's Employment Act — from CPF contributions and the COMPASS EP scoring framework to the Progressive Wage Model and MOM compliance obligations.
Employment Contracts (EA)
- ✓Employment Act (EA) applies to all employees earning ≤ SGD 2,600/month or doing manual work
- ✓Key Employment Terms (KETs) must be provided in writing within 14 days of start
- ✓Fixed-term contracts valid; if renewed beyond 2 years, MOM may deem employment continuous
- ✓Probation: typically 3–6 months; no statutory limit
- ✓Fair Consideration Framework (FCF): must consider Singapore Citizens/PRs before hiring foreign workers
Working Hours & Overtime
- ✓Employment Act employees: 8h/day, 44h/week standard
- ✓Overtime cap: 72 hours/month for EA-covered employees
- ✓Overtime rate: 1.5× the employee's hourly basic rate of pay
- ✓Rest day work: 2× the hourly rate for work on mandatory rest days
- ✓Managers and executives are not covered by EA working hour provisions
Leave Entitlements
- ✓7–14 days annual leave depending on years of service (after 3 months)
- ✓11 public holidays per year (if a PH falls on rest day, next day off in lieu)
- ✓16 weeks maternity leave for Singapore Citizens (8 weeks for non-citizens)
- ✓2 weeks paternity leave for Singapore Citizen children (paid by government)
- ✓6 days childcare leave per parent per year for children under 7 (3 days employer-funded)
Wages & Progressive Wage Model
- ✓No universal minimum wage; Progressive Wage Model (PWM) applies to cleaning, security, landscape, admin, and food services sectors
- ✓Local Qualifying Salary (LQS): SGD 1,600/month minimum for Employment Pass work pass quota purposes
- ✓Annual bonus (AWS — Annual Wage Supplement): 1 month's salary common but not statutory
- ✓Variable bonus (VB) commonly used in lieu of or alongside AWS
- ✓MOM Fair Employment Practices guidelines govern pay equity and non-discrimination
CPF & Work Passes
- ✓CPF (Central Provident Fund): employer 17%, employee 20% for employees < 55 years old
- ✓CPF rates reduce progressively for employees aged 55–70+
- ✓Only Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents contribute to CPF; foreigners do not
- ✓Employment Pass (EP): for professionals earning ≥ SGD 5,000/month; COMPASS scoring applies
- ✓S Pass: for mid-skilled workers earning ≥ SGD 3,150/month; quota and levy requirements
Termination
- ✓Notice period: as per contract; minimum 1 day (< 26 weeks) to 4 weeks (5+ years) for EA employees
- ✓Pay in lieu of notice always permitted unless contract explicitly prohibits
- ✓Wrongful dismissal (MOM definition): termination without just cause or excuse
- ✓Retrenchment: MOM notification required for 5+ retrenchments within 6 months
- ✓Retrenchment benefit: not legally mandated but recommended (MOM: 2 weeks per year of service)
How to Hire in Singapore with Vectis
From offer to payroll — compliant with Singapore's Employment Act and MOM requirements.
Share the details
Role, salary in SGD, citizenship status, and start date. We assess COMPASS eligibility for EP applicants and identify PWM requirements.
We draft the contract
Employment Act-compliant Key Employment Terms (KETs) document plus full employment contract. Available in English.
CPF, IRAS & work passes
CPF registration for SC/PR employees, IRAS IR8A setup, and Employment Pass or S Pass application to MOM if required.
Monthly payroll & CPF
Monthly payslips with CPF contributions, IRAS withholding, SDF levy, and Skills Development Fund submissions.
“Singapore was our APAC HQ and we needed to hire fast. Vectis navigated COMPASS scoring for our EP application, set up CPF for our local hires, and had the whole team onboarded in under 3 days.”
Public Holidays in Singapore
Singapore has 11 public holidays per year. If a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is a substitute day off. Vectis tracks all obligations automatically.
Singapore Hiring FAQs
Common questions about employing staff in Singapore.
Ready to hire in Singapore?
Vectis is your Employer of Record in Singapore — managing CPF, COMPASS EP applications, MOM compliance, the Fair Consideration Framework, and all Employment Act obligations.
Hire in Singapore compliantly — CPF & EP experts
No entity required. Onboard in 48 hours.