Hours of Work & Overtime
In Singapore, hours of work, overtime and rest days are regulated under Part 4 of the Employment Act. These rules apply only to:
- Workmen (doing manual labour) earning a basic monthly salary of $4,500 or less
- Non-workmen earning a basic monthly salary of $2,600 or less
They do not apply to managers or executives, whatever their salary.
Normal hours of work
Contractual hours for employees covered by Part 4 are capped as follows:
- 5 days or fewer a week: up to 9 hours a day or 44 hours a week
- More than 5 days a week: up to 8 hours a day or 44 hours a week
Other arrangements, such as alternate-week schedules and shift work, are allowed within MOM's limits. Break times do not count as hours of work.
Breaks and rest days
- Employees should generally not work more than 6 consecutive hours without a break.
- Employees must get 1 rest day per week. It is a whole unpaid day (midnight to midnight) and does not have to be a Sunday.
Maximum hours
- Employees generally cannot work more than 12 hours a day, including overtime. Exceptions apply in situations such as accidents, work essential to the community or national defence, urgent work on machinery, or unforeseeable interruptions.
- Overtime is capped at 72 hours a month. Employers can apply to MOM for an exemption.
Overtime pay
- Overtime is any work beyond the employee's contractual hours, excluding breaks.
- Overtime must be paid at least 1.5 times the hourly basic rate of pay, within 14 days after the end of the salary period.
- For monthly-rated employees, the hourly basic rate is (12 × monthly basic salary) ÷ (52 × 44).
- For non-workmen, overtime pay is calculated on a salary of at most $2,600, or $13.60 an hour.
Employees not covered by Part 4
For managers, executives and other employees outside Part 4, working hours and overtime are set by the employment contract. The common practice in Singapore is for office employees to work Monday to Friday, around 9am to 6pm.
