Working Hours and Overtime in Singapore

In Singapore, your company must comply with working hour and overtime laws – including daily limits, overtime thresholds, and rest requirements – to stay compliant and build a strong employee experience.

As you plan workforce needs through 2026, expect continued enforcement of the 44‑hour workweek, strict oversight of overtime caps, and closer scrutiny of record‑keeping and fatigue management, especially in higher‑risk sectors. You should regularly review employment contracts, rosters, and payroll calculations to ensure they align with the Employment Act and any Ministry of Manpower guidelines, and be prepared for potential digital reporting or inspection initiatives that make non‑compliance easier to detect.

• Standard Working Hours
• Overtime Thresholds
• Overtime Pay Rates
• Daily And Weekly Rest Requirements
• Night Work Restrictions
• Penalties For Non-Compliance

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 contractual working hours for most employees in Singapore are capped at 44 hours per week, usually spread over no more than 6 days. This typically means up to 8 hours per day over 5 days, or slightly shorter days over 6 days, provided the weekly total does not exceed 44 hours. You must also ensure that employees do not work more than 12 hours in any one day, inclusive of overtime, except where a specific exemption or written approval from the Ministry of Manpower applies.

For employees covered by Part IV of the Employment Act – generally workmen earning up to a prescribed salary threshold and non‑workmen up to another threshold – these limits are mandatory. You should structure rosters, shift patterns, and staffing levels so that regular schedules stay within the 44‑hour weekly limit and any additional hours are clearly treated and recorded as overtime.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

• Manufacturing And Processing Operations
• Hotels, Restaurants, And Retail Services
• Transport, Logistics, And Port Operations
• Healthcare, Residential Care, And Emergency Services
• Security, Guarding, And Surveillance Services
• Oil, Petrochemical, And Continuous Process Industries

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Managers and executives in Singapore – such as senior professionals, department heads, and those with authority over hiring, firing, or performance decisions – are generally excluded from the working‑hours and overtime provisions in Part IV of the Employment Act. While they may not be legally entitled to overtime pay or strict hour caps, you still have a duty to manage their workload responsibly, prevent excessive working hours, and comply with workplace safety and health obligations.

For exempt employees, it is best practice to define expected working hours, availability, and any time‑off arrangements clearly in employment contracts and internal policies. Transparent expectations help you avoid disputes about workload, after‑hours work, and compensation, and support sustainable working patterns for senior staff.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Singapore

In Singapore, full‑time employment is typically based on a 44‑hour workweek for employees covered by the Employment Act. Many employers adopt a 5‑day week of 8 to 9 hours per day, or a 5½‑ or 6‑day week with shorter daily hours, as long as the total does not exceed 44 hours. Any hours worked beyond the contractual standard – and beyond 44 hours per week for covered employees – are generally treated as overtime and must be compensated at the statutory minimum overtime rate.

When designing full‑time roles, you should specify the normal daily and weekly hours, the days of work, and how breaks are scheduled. This clarity helps ensure compliance with the 44‑hour limit, supports accurate overtime calculations, and provides employees with predictable working patterns.

Overtime Regulations In Singapore

What Counts As Overtime In Singapore?

In Singapore, overtime for employees covered by Part IV of the Employment Act generally refers to any work performed at your request beyond the employee’s contractual daily hours or beyond 44 hours in a week, whichever is lower. Overtime can arise from extended shifts, additional days of work, or work performed outside the agreed roster. To qualify as overtime, the extra hours must be authorized by you and properly recorded.

Overtime rules mainly apply to workmen earning up to the statutory salary cap and non‑workmen up to their respective cap. Managers and executives are usually excluded from overtime protections. You should maintain clear written policies on when overtime is allowed, how it must be approved, and how it is tracked, so that both supervisors and employees understand when additional hours will be treated as overtime.

Maximum Overtime In Singapore

For covered employees, the Employment Act limits overtime to a maximum of 72 hours per month, unless you obtain specific written approval from the Ministry of Manpower for a higher limit in defined circumstances. In addition, the total number of hours worked – including overtime – should not normally exceed 12 hours per day, except where an exemption applies.

As an employer, you must monitor overtime usage closely. Implement systems to track cumulative monthly overtime, flag employees approaching the 72‑hour cap, and adjust rosters or staffing to prevent breaches. Excessive overtime not only risks non‑compliance but can also lead to fatigue, safety incidents, and higher turnover.

Overtime Payout Rates In Singapore

For eligible employees, overtime must be paid at a rate of at least 1.5 times the employee’s hourly basic rate of pay for each hour (or part thereof) of overtime worked. The hourly basic rate is typically calculated by dividing the monthly basic salary by the number of working hours in a month, based on the employee’s contractual schedule and the statutory formula prescribed by the Ministry of Manpower.

Overtime pay is usually due for work beyond the normal daily hours or beyond 44 hours per week, whichever is lower, and must be paid within the salary period or by the next payroll cycle as required by law. You should ensure your payroll system correctly identifies overtime‑qualifying hours, applies the 1.5x multiplier, and itemizes overtime payments clearly on payslips to maintain transparency and compliance.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Singapore

In Singapore, employees typically work up to 8 to 9 hours per day and 44 hours per week, and rest periods are structured around these limits to protect health and safety. You must provide a meal break of at least 45 minutes if an employee works more than 5 consecutive hours, ensure reasonable daily rest between shifts, and grant weekly rest days so that total working time – including overtime – remains within statutory caps and does not lead to fatigue or unsafe working conditions.

• Meal Break Requirements
• Daily Rest
• Weekly Rest
• Minors
• Employer Duties