Normal work culture in Singapore?
I’m just wondering if a minimum of required 55 hours a week is normal work hours in singapore? It feels like I don’t ever have time for anything outside work.
We have this thing called required overtime every Monday and thursday and I don’t understand why we don’t get paid for any overtime work. And then we have to work also on Saturdays.
Is it the same for every workplace in SG?
Netizens’ comments
- Definitely not. Try to get out of your job ASAP.
- Call the MoM hotline and report this.
The hotline is anonymous, not paying OT is a clear violation of MoM regulations. They can work you till the max hours allowed per week, but OT must be paid properly.
As much as we like to meme that SG is pro-business, companies tend to stop their nonsense the moment they know they are getting investigated. - You are being exploited. As long as there’s some desperados who would sign such contracts just to come to sg, such exploitation will always exist.
- You should get paid for OT and 55 hours per week is not normal. Go find another job that is between 40 to 44 hours per week
MOM Guidelines
Normal hours of work
Contractual working hours are the hours that you and your employer have agreed to in the contract of service.
For common work arrangements, your contractual hours of work are as follows:
| If you work | Your contractual hours of work are |
| 5 days or less a week | Up to 9 hours per day or 44 hours a week |
| More than 5 days a week | Up to 8 hours a day or 44 hours a week |
For other work arrangements, your contractual hours of work are as follows:
| If you work | Your contractual hours of work are |
| Less than 44 hours every alternate week | Up to 48 hours a week, but capped at 88 hours in any continuous 2-week period.Example:If week 1 = 40 hours; week 2 = 48 hours; week 3 = 40 hours:Average for weeks 1 and 2 = 44 hoursAverage for weeks 2 and 3 = 44 hours |
| Shifts of up to 12 hours a day | Up to an average of 44 hours over a continuous 3-week period.Example:If week 1 = 40 hours; week 2 = 44 hours; week 3 = 48 hours; week 4 = 40 hours:Average for weeks 1, 2 and 3 = 44 hoursAverage for weeks 2, 3 and 4 = 44 hours |
Note: If you are not a shift worker but agree to work up to 12 hours a day, and not exceeding an average of 44 hours over any 3 continuous weeks, you must:
- Give your consent in writing.
- Have the provisions of Sections 38 and 40 of the Employment Act explained to you.
- Be informed of your daily working hours, number of working days in each week and weekly rest day.
Overtime pay
Overtime work is all work in excess of the normal hours of work (excluding breaks).
You can claim overtime if you are:
- A non-workman earning a monthly basic salary of $2,600 or less.
- A workman earning a monthly basic salary of $4,500 or less.
The overtime rate payable for non-workmen is capped at the salary level of $2,600, or an hourly rate of $13.60.
For overtime work, your employer must pay you at least 1.5 times the hourly basic rate of pay. Payment must be made within 14 days after the last day of the salary period.
How overtime pay is calculated
Overtime pay is calculated as follows:
- Hourly basic rate of pay × 1.5 × number of hours worked overtime
The hourly basic rate of pay is calculated as follows:
| For this category of employee | Hourly basic rate of pay is |
| Monthly-rated employee | (12 x Monthly basic rate of pay) / (52 x 44) |
| Daily-rated employee | Daily pay at the basic rate / Working hours per day |
| Piece-rated employee | Total weekly pay at the basic rate of pay / Total number of hours worked in the week |
Maximum hours of work
As an employee, you are not allowed to work more than 12 hours a day.
However, your employer can ask you to work more than 12 hours a day in the following circumstances:
- An accident or threat of accident.
- Work that is essential to the life of the community, national defence or security.
- Urgent work to be done to machinery or plant.
- An interruption of work that was impossible to foresee.
Working more than 12 hours a day (overtime exemption)
If an employer requires employees to work more than 12 hours a day (up to a maximum of 14 hours), they must apply for an overtime exemption.
Maximum hours of overtime
An employee can only work up to 72 overtime hours in a month.
Employers can apply for an exemption if they require employees to work more than the 72 hours of overtime in a month.
Work on rest day or public holidays is not counted in the 72-hour overtime limit, except for work done beyond the usual daily working hours on those days. Such extra hours are included in the 72-hour limit.
Overtime on a rest day or public holiday is calculated as follows:
- (Hourly basic rate of pay × 1.5 × Number of hours worked overtime) + (Rest day or public holiday pay)