The Employment Act is Singapore’s main employment law. It provides for the basic terms and working conditions for all employees through core provisions and Part IV provisions that provide additional protection. Only some employees are covered by Part IV.
Part IV of the Employment Act, which provides for rest days, hours of work and other conditions of service, only applies to:
- A workman (doing manual labour) earning a monthly basic salary of not more than $4,500.
- An employee who is not a workman, but who is covered by the Employment Act and earns a monthly basic salary of not more than $2,600.
Part IV of the Act does not cover all managers or executives.
Use the below table to help you identify whether an employee is a “workman” or a “manager or executive”.
Category |
Comments |
Type of contract |
Who is a “workman”? |
Generally, “workmen” are employees whose work involves mainly manual labour. This includes someone who falls under any of these categories:
|
Does the “workman” earn above $4,500 per month (excluding overtime payments, bonus payments, annual wage supplements, productivity incentive payments and any allowance):
Use Non-Part IV Employees employment contract
Use Part IV Employees employment contract |
Who is a manager or executive? |
In general, managers and executives are employees with executive and supervisory functions. Their duties and authority may include one or all of the following:
They also include professionals with tertiary education and specialised knowledge or skills whose employment terms are like those of managers or executives. For example:
|
Use the Non-Part IV Employees employment contracts regardless of earnings |
What about all other employees? |
Basically, all employees who are not “workmen” and who are not managers, executives or tertiary educated professionals. This generally means all rank-and file white-collar employee (e.g. clerk and receptionist). |
Does the employee earn above $2,600 per month (excluding overtime payments, bonus payments, annual wage supplements, productivity incentive payments and any allowance):
Use Non-Part IV Employees employment contract
Use Part IV Employees employment contract |
For guidance, please consult the Ministry of Manpower website here.