SINGAPORE PEO & EOR
Hire in Singapore without a local entity today
As a Global PEO & EOR service provider, we pride ourselves on our global reach, in-country knowledge, and ability to swiftly and efficiently mobilize workers around the world. Our robust PEO/EOR covers everything from global HR, payroll, compliance, in-country support, immigration, visas, and more.
Get started and hire in Singapore today with Gibson Watts Global.
DID YOU KNOW
- Alongside its main island, Singapore is made up of an additional 63 islands, most of which are uninhabited.
- Chewing gum has been banned in Singapore since 1992.
- Singapore’s time zone has changed 6 times since 1905.
- Singapore is the largest port in Southeast Asia, and one of the busiest in the world.
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Singapore PEO Services
A fertile land full of opportunities for businesses
Coming in fifth in the rankings of global competitive economy (according to Institute for Management Development (IMD) World Competitiveness Ranking), Singapore has continuously proven to be a fertile land full of opportunities for businesses. Acknowledged as the business epicenter in Asia, the elements that drive Singapore to be an ideal business environment are its rich infrastructure, advanced technology developments, political stability and open business policies.
The business-friendly ecosystem within Singapore coupled with strong external trade and investment, has earned Singapore a reputation as the most competitive Asian country whilst being one of the easiest countries to start a business in. Singapore’s unique social fabric consisting of a mix of Eastern and Western influences also make it friendly for international businesses to adapt and communicate.
Working in Singapore
Employment Information
Singapore is seeing a rapid development in the technology sector, securing the title as the leading tech innovation hub in Asia (according to KPMG’s global study). Despite it being a small nation, Singapore definitely does not lose out as being one of the prime spots for businesses to set up their bases and grow.
Working Hours
Singapore follows a standard 9 hours work schedule per day for a 5 days’ work week. This adds up to 44 hours a week for a standard work week. Employers must provide break times of at least 45 minutes per work day after 6 to 8 hours of work.
For overtime pay, employers are not allowed to overwork the employees for more than 72 hours as overtime in a month. For employees who are working more than 44 hours per week, they must receive overtime pay at a rate of 1.5x the hourly basic rate of pay.
Holidays and Sickness Allowance
Under the employment act, there are 11 statutory holidays where employees are not entitled to work. In 2022, those were:
- New Year’s Day, 1 Jan
- Chinese New Year, 1 Feb
- Chinese New Year, 2 Feb
- Good Friday, 15 April
- Labor Day, 2 May
- Hari Raya Puasa, 3 May
- Vesak Day, 15 May
- Hari Raya Haji, 10 Jul
- National Day, 9 Aug
- Deepavali, 24 Oct
- Christmas Day, 25 Dec
If employees are required to work on a public holiday, the employer should pay an extra day’s salary or grant an off in lieu.
Parental Leave
Employees who are working mothers are entitled to 16 weeks of Government-Paid Maternity Leave if their child is a Singaporean citizen, and 12 weeks if the child is not a Singaporean citizen.
For employees who are eligible working fathers, they are entitled to 2 weeks of Government-Paid Paternity Leave if they have served their employer for a continuous period of at least 3 months before the birth of the child.
Taxation
Singapore offers progressive income tax for Singapore residents that starts from 2% for annual income between $20,000 to $30,000. For non residents, they are taxed at a flat rate of 15% or the progressive resident tax rates, whichever is the higher amount.
Visas
Foreign professionals, managers and executives would largely fall under “employment pass”. There is a minimum salary requirement of more than SGD4500/month and the person must possess acceptable qualifications. Other types of professional passes include entrepreneur passes and personalized employment pass, which has other requirements.
Passes for skilled and semi-skilled workers are more sector/occupation-specific, or in the case of S-Passes, a requisite of a fixed income of at least SGD2500/month for mid-level skilled staff. Work passes such as Work Permit for Foreign Workers are given to the semi-skilled workers entering the construction/manufacturing sector etc.
Cultural Information
Singapore’s unique and diverse social fabric has a blend of Eastern and Western influences. Primarily, there are 4 official languages in Singapore: English, Malay, Chinese and Tamil. English is the main language in Singapore.
Taking a look at the cultural divisions, roughly 75% of Singaporeans are ethically Chinese, with most from Hokkien or Teochew communities. About 15% are Malay Muslims, 6% are Tamil, and 4% are from other heritages.
Impacts from COVID-19
COVID-19 caused Singapore to implement restrictions that mandated working from home regulations. In 2020, about 49% of the labour force shifted to work remotely. The top 3 industries that shifted to remote working are information and communications, financial and insurance services, as well as professional services.
At this moment during the pandemic, it is observed that remote work is here to stay. Employers are more receptive towards adopting a hybrid working style for flexibility in these uncertain times.
Other Information
When employing workers in Singapore, all employees are required to contribute to the Central Provident Fund (CPF), a savings scheme for employees to accrue money for access to healthcare and housing. Depending on the type of employment, the age of the employee, current on-going plans initiated by the government, and even the industry, the amount of CPF that an employee must contribute or not varies accordingly.
Partnering with a Singapore PEO provider can also simplify the global expansion process further, providing an intricate understanding on every aspect of Singapore’s employment legislation.