Working Hours and Overtime in Singapore

What Are The Standard Working Hours In Singapore?

An employee whose age is 16 or younger has a maximum of 6 hours per day and 30 hours per week. An employee whose age is 17 or older is allowed to work 44 hours per week. A minimum meal interval of 45 minutes must be observed by employees who work more than 5 consecutive hours in a day. In typical working hours, Monday through Friday, the hours are 9:00 to 18:00.

Maximum Working Hours In Singapore

Under the Employment Act, the standard limit for adult employees covered by Part IV is 8 hours per day and 44 hours per week, excluding breaks. You may arrange up to 9 hours per day or 44 hours over 5 days if the contractual pattern is compressed, but the weekly cap of 44 hours still applies. You must also ensure that employees do not work more than 12 hours in any one day, including overtime, unless specific exemptions are granted by the Ministry of Manpower.

Where collective agreements or written contracts provide for different schedules, they cannot waive statutory protections on maximum daily hours, weekly limits, or mandatory rest days. You must keep accurate records of working hours and overtime for at least two years to demonstrate compliance during inspections. Failure to respect these limits can result in enforcement action, including financial penalties and directions to adjust schedules.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

Companies hiring in sectors like healthcare, transportation, manufacturing, or hospitality may be subject to special scheduling rules approved by the Ministry of Manpower. For example, shift systems may allow employees to work up to 12 hours per day, provided the average weekly hours over a suitable reference period do not exceed 44 hours and daily rest requirements are met. You must obtain any required exemptions before implementing such extended shifts.

In practice, you should design rosters that balance operational needs with fatigue management, especially for safety-critical roles. Written policies should clarify how overtime is requested, approved, and compensated in line with statutory rules. Coordination with unions or employee representatives is advisable where collective agreements govern scheduling.

• Healthcare professionals may work 12-hour shifts with extended rest periods.
• Transport workers must comply with EU-aligned rest and driving limits.
• Manufacturing and security staff often rotate through night or weekend shifts.

Even in these sectors, you must ensure the average weekly limit is respected over a reference period. You should monitor total hours, including overtime and on-call duties, to avoid breaching the 44-hour weekly average. Where exemptions allow higher daily limits, document the approval and communicate clearly to supervisors.

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Managers and executives who have significant authority over hiring, firing, or decision-making are generally excluded from Part IV of the Employment Act, which means statutory limits on hours and overtime pay do not apply to them. However, their overall workload must still be reasonable under general employment and safety principles, and you should avoid excessive hours that could create health or performance risks. Their working hours and any additional allowances should be clearly set out in the employment contract.

For professionals and other higher-paid staff who fall outside Part IV, you can agree on flexible or output-based schedules, but you should still track working time for health, safety, and burnout prevention. Consider implementing internal caps or time-off-in-lieu policies even where the law does not mandate overtime pay. Transparent communication about expectations helps reduce disputes over workload.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Singapore

In Singapore, full-time employment is typically based on a schedule of up to 44 hours per week, usually spread over 5 or 5.5 days. Common patterns include 8 hours per day over 5.5 days or 9 hours per day over 5 days, excluding meal breaks. Any hours beyond the contractual schedule that exceed these limits for Part IV employees are treated as overtime and must be compensated accordingly.

You may implement part-time, flexi-time, or compressed workweek arrangements as long as the average weekly hours and daily maximums remain within statutory limits. These arrangements should be documented in writing, including how overtime is calculated and approved. Ensure that part-time employees receive pro-rated benefits and protections consistent with their hours.

Overtime Regulations In Singapore

As an employer in Singapore, you must comply with the Employment Act rules on overtime for employees covered under Part IV, including workmen earning up to SGD 4,500 per month and non-workmen earning up to SGD 2,600 per month. You are required to keep detailed records of daily hours, overtime worked, and overtime payments for at least two years. Non-compliance with overtime rules can lead to back-pay orders, financial penalties, and reputational risk during audits or inspections.

What Counts As Overtime In Singapore?

For eligible employees, overtime is any work that exceeds the contractual daily hours (usually 8 or 9 hours) or the statutory limit of 44 hours per week, whichever is lower. Work performed on a rest day or public holiday also counts as overtime if it exceeds the normal daily working hours, and different pay formulas apply. You must obtain the employee’s consent to perform overtime, except in emergencies where safety or essential services are at risk.

Overtime must be calculated based on actual hours worked, rounded to the nearest 15 minutes, and paid within 14 days after the end of the salary period. You should implement a clear approval process so supervisors do not schedule overtime informally without proper authorization. Written policies and timekeeping systems help you demonstrate that overtime is necessary, controlled, and correctly compensated.

Maximum Overtime In Singapore

For employees covered by Part IV of the Employment Act, overtime is capped at 72 hours per month under normal circumstances. This translates to an average of about 16 to 18 overtime hours per week, depending on the number of working days in the month. You must ensure that total working hours, including overtime, do not exceed 12 hours in any one day unless you have obtained specific exemptions from the Ministry of Manpower.

The 72-hour monthly overtime cap can only be exceeded with prior written approval from the Ministry of Manpower, typically for exceptional operational needs. Even with such approval, you must still safeguard employees’ health and safety and provide adequate rest days. Regularly review overtime reports to identify departments or roles that consistently approach the cap and consider hiring or rescheduling to reduce reliance on excessive overtime.

Overtime Payout Rates In Singapore

For eligible employees, the statutory minimum overtime pay rate is 1.5x the hourly basic rate of pay for work in excess of normal daily hours or 44 hours per week, whichever is lower. The hourly basic rate is generally calculated as the monthly basic salary divided by 26 days and then by the number of working hours per day, often 8 or 9 hours. You must pay this 150% rate for all qualifying overtime hours, and payment must be made within 14 days after the end of the salary period.

When an employee works on a rest day at your request, the pay is at least 1x to 2x the daily basic rate depending on whether the work is within or beyond half a day, and overtime beyond the normal hours on that rest day is paid at 1.5x the hourly basic rate. For work on a public holiday, an employee is entitled to an extra day’s salary at 1x the basic rate or a full day off in lieu, and if required to work, the total compensation can reach at least 2x the basic rate plus 1.5x for overtime hours. You may offer higher contractual overtime or weekend premiums, such as 2x for Sunday work, but you cannot go below the statutory 1.5x minimum for qualifying overtime.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Singapore

In Singapore, employees typically work up to 8 hours per day and 44 hours per week under the Employment Act, and rest periods are structured around these limits to protect health and safety. The law requires meal breaks and daily and weekly rest so that total working time, including overtime, remains sustainable. As an employer, you must design rosters and break schedules that respect these statutory requirements while meeting operational needs.

• Meal Break: Employees who work more than 5 consecutive hours must receive a meal break of at least 45 minutes, and this break is generally unpaid unless your contract states otherwise. You should schedule meal breaks so that employees do not work excessively long continuous stretches.
• Daily Rest: Employees must have adequate time between shifts, and total working hours including overtime should not exceed 12 hours in a day except with approved exemptions. You should avoid scheduling back-to-back shifts that compromise rest and safety.
• Weekly Rest: Employees covered by the Employment Act are entitled to at least 1 rest day per week, typically Sunday, which is a continuous period of 24 hours. If you require work on the rest day, you must provide appropriate pay and, where applicable, a substitute rest day.
• Minors: Young persons aged 15 to under 18 are subject to stricter limits on daily and weekly hours and must receive adequate breaks to protect their development. You should verify ages and ensure that scheduling for minors complies with all special protections.
• Employer Duty: You are responsible for planning work so that statutory breaks and rest days are actually taken, not just written into policy. Regular audits of rosters and time records help you confirm that employees are receiving their entitlements in practice.

Night Shifts And Weekend Regulations In Singapore

Night and weekend work are legal in Singapore but come with additional responsibilities for employers to manage fatigue, safety, and fair compensation. You must ensure that total daily hours, including night or weekend shifts, do not exceed 12 hours unless you have obtained specific exemptions. Proper rostering, rest periods, and clear policies are essential to remain compliant.

Night work in Singapore is commonly understood as work performed between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., although the Employment Act does not prescribe a single fixed statutory window for all sectors. Certain industries, such as manufacturing or healthcare, may define night shifts contractually within this range, for example from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. You should clearly specify in employment contracts when night work applies and what protections or allowances are provided.

• Premium Pay: There is no statutory night work premium rate in Singapore, and the Employment Act does not mandate a specific percentage such as 1.25x or 25% for night hours. In practice, many employers offer contractual night shift allowances or higher hourly rates, for example an additional SGD 5 to SGD 15 per night shift or a 10% to 20% uplift, to attract and retain staff.
• Health Monitoring: While there is no universal legal requirement for periodic medical checks solely due to night work, you are expected under workplace safety and health obligations to monitor fatigue and health risks for regular night workers. Many employers provide health screenings or access to medical consultations for employees who frequently work night shifts.
• Workplace Restrictions: Young persons and pregnant employees should not be assigned to hazardous night work or excessively long night shifts, in line with general protections under employment and safety laws. You should conduct risk assessments and, where necessary, reassign vulnerable workers to safer or daytime roles.

Weekend work, including Sunday, is permitted in Singapore, but employees covered by the Employment Act must receive at least one rest day per week, usually Sunday, as a continuous 24-hour period. If you require an employee to work on their designated rest day, you must provide the statutory minimum pay, which can range from 1x to 2x the daily basic rate depending on the duration worked, and pay 1.5x the hourly basic rate for overtime beyond normal hours on that day or grant a substitute rest day.