References
The Employment Act (Cap. 91) [EA] of 8 June 1968, as last amended by Act No. 2 of 2012 of 18 January 2012, effective since 1 March 2012
Date:
21 Aug 1970;
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Scope
Size of enterprises excluded (≤): none
Workers' categories excluded: domestic workers, managerial / executive positions, seafarers
Sec. 2 EA: see definition of "employees":
"employee" means a person who has entered into or works under a contract of service with an employer and includes a workman, and any officer or employee of the Government included in a category, class or description of such officers or employees declared by the President to be employees for the purposes of this Act or any provision thereof, but does not include:
(a) any seaman;
(b) any domestic worker;
(c) subject to subsection (2), any person employed in a managerial or an executive position; and
(d) any person belonging to any other class of persons whom the Minister may, from time to time by notification in the Gazette, declare not to be employees for the purposes of this Act."
FTC regulated: No
Valid reasons for FTC use: no limitation
Sec. 9 (1) EA.
Maximum number of successive FTCs: no limitation
No statutory limitation in the legislation reviewed.
Maximum cumulative duration of successive FTCs: no limitation
No statutory limitation in the legislation reviewed.
Maximum probationary (trial) period (in months):
no limitationThe EA does not refer to any probation period.
However, it is common practice for employees to serve a 6 month-probationary period.
See: http://www.guidemesingapore.com/employment/c288-employment-act-contract-and-benefits.htm
Obligation to provide reasons to the employee: No
The EA does not require the employer to provide the reasons for termination with notice: Sec. 10 (1) EA provides that either party may at any time give to the other party notice of his intention to terminate the contract.
In addition, the EA does not expressly stipulate any obligation to provide the reasons when dismissing without notice (on the grounds of misconduct: sec. 14 EA), for continuous absence from work (sec. 13 (2)), or willful breach of a condition of the contract (sec. 11 (2) EA).
Valid grounds (justified dismissal):
Prohibited grounds: pregnancy, maternity leave, age, trade union membership and activities
* Age: sec. 4 (2) of Retirement Age Act 1993 (No. 14 of 1993) as amended by Act No. 49 of 1998 stipulates that "no employer shall dismiss on the ground of age any employee who is below 60 years of age or the prescribed retirement age".
* Pregnancy and maternity leave: sec. 81, 84 and 84 EA.
* Trade union activities: sec. 82 of the Industrial Relations Act (chap. 136) of 1960 as subsequently amended.
Workers enjoying special protection: pregnant women and/or women on maternity leave
See sec. 81, 84 and 84A EA.
Notification to the worker to be dismissed: written
Sec. 10 (5) EA.
Notice period:
Notice periods are governed by the terms of the contract (sec. 10 (2) EA), and it is only in the absence of such a stipulation that the statutory notice periods apply.
Sec. 10 (3) EA establishes statutory minimum notice periods as follows:
- one day for less than 26 weeks' service;
- one week for 26 weeks to less than two years' service;
- two weeks for two to less than five years' service;
- four weeks for five or more years' service.
Pay in lieu of notice: Yes
Sec. 11 (1) EA.
Notification to the public administration: No
Notification to workers' representatives: No
Approval by public administration or judicial bodies: No
Approval by workers' representatives: No
Definition of collective dismissal (number of employees concerned) No statutory definition.
Notification to the public administration No
Notification to trade union (workers' representatives) No
Notification to workers' representatives: No
Approval by trade union (workers' representatives) No
Approval by workers' representatives No
Priority rules for collective dismissals (social considerations, age, job tenure) No
Employer's obligation to consider alternatives to dismissal (transfers, retraining...) No
Priority rules for re-employment No
Notes / Remarks
There is no statutory procedure for collective and individual dismissals on economic grounds.
However the Singapore's Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF), and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) have jointly issued a Tripartite Guidelines on Managing Excess Manpower in 2008, updated in 2009.
Under the Tripartite Guidelines On Managing Excess Manpower, the employer is encouraged, in case of retrenchment, to consult with the trade union if the company is unionised. In addition, the employer should notify the Labour Relations Department and the Manpower Deployment Department of the Ministry of Manpower to help the affected workers find alternative employment expeditiously (link provided below under "scope of additional information").
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No provision on severance pay in the Employment Act.
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mine workers: Yes
Sec. 14 (4) EA: If the Minister of Manpower considers the dismissal to be unfair, he may:
1) order reinstatement and payment of wages the employee would have earned had he or she not been dismissed, or in lieu if reinstatement
2) direct the employer to pay such amount of compensation as freely determined by the Minister.
managerial / executive positions: Yes
Sec. 14 (4) a) EA: If after consideration of the Labour Commissioner's inquiry, the Minister of Labour is satisfied that the employee has been dismissed (on the grounds of misconduct) without "just cause or excuse", he may order reinstatement.
police: No
No statutory provision in the legislation reviewed.
An employee who considers that he or she has been summarily dismissed on the grounds of misconduct without just cause or excuse may, within one month of the dismissal and in writing, seek reinstatement (and/or compensation) from the Minister of Manpower (sec. 14 (2) EA. The decision of the Minister is final and cannot be challenged in any court (sec. 14(5), EA).
Existing arbitration: No
Notes / Remarks
Claims of unfair dismissal (without just cause) dealt with in this section are only available to the employee in the event of a summary dismissal dismissal (for misconduct).
In the event of any termination of the contract by the employer, the employee has the right to sue in the civil courts for breach of contract at common law.