Under the Employment Act (Chapter 91), all employees under a contract of service with an employer are covered. An employee is defined as a person who has entered into or works under a contract of service and includes a workman.
However, this does not include any seafarer, any domestic worker or any other person who may be declared by the Minister from time to time.
As long as there is a valid contract of service between employee and employer, the Employment Act will cover both local and foreign employees. Employees can be employed in the following terms:-
- Full-time;
- Part-time;
- Temporary;
An employee can also be paid on the following basis:-
- Hourly
- Daily
- Monthly
- Piece-rated
A contract of service, as defined by the Employment Act means any agreement, whether in writing or oral, express or implied, whereby one person agrees to employ another as an employee, and that other agrees to serve his employer as an employee and includes an apprenticeship contract or agreement.
Certain provisions, such as Part IV of the Employment Act, which relates to rest days, hours of work and other conditions of service, only applies to workmen who are in receipt of a salary not exceeding S$4,500 a month or other employees who receive a salary not exceeding S$2,600 a month.
In general, managers and executives are employees with executive and supervisory functions. Their duties and authority may include:-
- They are making decisions on issues such as recruitment, discipline, termination of employment, performance assessment and reward.
- They are formulating strategies and policies of the enterprise.
- Managing and running the business.
They also include professionals with specialised skills and knowledge such as:-
- Advocates and solicitors
- Chartered Accountants
- Practising doctors and dentists.
A workman is someone whose work involves mainly manual labour. This includes:-
- Someone who does manual work;
- Operates or maintains commercial vehicles with passengers;
- Supervises manual workers, but also performs manual work more than half their working time;
Has a job specified in the first schedule of the Employment Act such as:-
- Cleaner
- Construction worker
- Labourer
- Machine Operator and assembler
- Metal and machinery worker
- Train, bus, lorry and van driver
- Train and bus inspector
