Employee Benefits in Singapore
Singapore’s economic growth was 3.9% year over year in Q1 of 2025, beating its goal of 3.8%. Wholesale, technology, and finance are among the top employers contributing to these numbers. Due to a robust economy, the job market is strong and the talent market is small (compared to North America and Europe). So, to attract and retain talent, what do companies need to offer in terms of employee benefits in Singapore?
If you’re planning to enter this market, you’ll have to provide the mandatory benefits as well as additional benefits in order to compete for Singaporean talent.
Here is a quick snapshot of the mandatory and top discretionary employee benefits in Singapore you shouldn’t miss.
Mandatory Employee Benefits in Singapore
Central Provident Fund (CPF)
The CPF is a government-run savings program in Singapore. Employers contribute a percentage of an employee’s basic salary to grow their government-provided retirement, health, and housing benefits. The percentage payable depends on a few factors like employee age and visa status. It’s the government’s initiative to support the citizens’ social welfare and financial self-reliance.
Leave Employee Benefits in Singapore
Annual Leave
The Ministry of Manpower mandates that employers grant annual leave after 3 months of employment. It grows depending on the team member’s working years in a company, with the highest being 14 days after 8 years. Companies may choose to provide additional paid leave entitlements in addition to this.
Childcare Leave
Parents have 2-6 days of paid leave per year to care for children. This only applies to those with children under the age of 7.
Maternity Leave
Working mothers are entitled to 12-16 weeks of government paid maternity leave. This is qualified as paid leave for the first and second child of every working mother who’s child is a Singaporean citizen. This benefit is reduced to 12 weeks if the child is not a Singaporean citizen. The employer will pay this directly to the employer then request reimbursement from the government.
Paternity Leave
Working fathers are also entitled to the Government-paid Paternity Leave. Team members with children born on or after January 1, 2017, can file their GPL within 16 weeks of the child’s birth.
Sick Leave
Team members also have the right to paid sick leave. Depending on time in employment, employees are granted between 5 and 14 days of sick leave (non-hospitalised). For hospitalised sick leave, they are granted up to 60 days. This does not apply if the team member gets sick during off days, annual leave, or non-working holidays.
Employee Separation Benefits
The Singapore Employment Act provides the country’s basic principles for employee separation and its supporting benefits. For example, notice period ranges from 1 day for employment within 26 weeks, to 4 weeks if above 5 years. The government also supports talent to find new roles.
Non-Mandatory Employee Benefits in Singapore
Health Insurance
The Basic Healthcare Sum covers team members’ health insurance and is included in their CPF. However, many companies choose to offer more premium coverage bought from private health insurance companies.
Allowance and Hardware
Team members are provided with stipends or allowances depending on their term of service and responsibilities. Some companies also provide hardware, like a PC setup for remote tech employees.
Flexible Work
Singaporean employees like a good work-life balance. Flexible working hours and hybrid work arrangements are highly valued perks, though perhaps not as common as in more western regions. However, given the competitive nature of the talent market in Singapore, this is one of the top employee benefits employers can use to attract and retain talent.
Looking into hybrid work options for your team? We’ve rounded up the top benefits of working from home in this blog. Take a look and see how it could work for your team.
Working Visas
Some employers also offer a working visa for team members needing to relocate for their responsibilities. This is common for Singaporean tech companies that seek specialised skills which may not be readily available in the local market.
Career Development
Many employers also offer career development opportunities for their team members. Some examples include a personal learning budget, therapy, coaching, paid conferences, and workshops.
Per Diem Employee Benefit in Singapore
Singapore is a global hub, and many talents need to travel for work. Per Diem is the company-provided daily allowance for employees travelling for work. Per Diem rates depend on the industry, destination, and the employee’s role and seniority.
Hire Singapore Talent With Salient
Hiring in Singapore isn’t just about ticking the right boxes on benefits — it’s about really understanding the talent market. These are just some of the employee benefits in Singapore. Employers may need to take more time to study for their Singapore expansion or start-up.
At Salient, Singapore is one of our key focus areas. We spend time on the ground, meet with industry leaders, and stay close to the market so we can connect great companies with the right sales and tech talent. If you’re planning to grow in Singapore, we’d love to help you find the team to get you there.
Sounds like what you need? Get in touch, and we’ll contact you in 24 hours.
