Simplify your HR paperwork

When you hire someone. An employment contract sets the role, salary, working hours, leave, probation, confidentiality and notice. Since 2016, employers must give employees covered by the Employment Act a written record of the Key Employment Terms (KETs), which a good contract delivers.

When you make an offer. An offer or appointment letter records the position, salary, start date and conditions before the formal contract, and is often the document a candidate relies on to resign elsewhere.

When you protect the business. Confidentiality and non-compete or non-solicitation clauses guard trade secrets and client relationships, but in Singapore a restraint of trade is only enforceable if it protects a legitimate interest and is no wider than reasonably necessary.

When an engagement ends. A termination letter, resignation acceptance or letter of release records the date, the notice served and the final pay, which is essential if the parting is contested.

• Employment contracts and appointment letters: role, salary, hours, leave, probation, KETs and notice.
• Offer letters: position, compensation, start date and conditions of the offer.
• Confidentiality, non-compete and non-solicitation clauses: scoped to a legitimate business interest.
• Termination, resignation and release letters: with notice, reason where required and final settlement.
• Supporting HR documents: warning letters, variation letters and certificates of employment.

The Employment Act 1968 is the core statute and now covers most employees, including managers and executives, though some protections (such as hours of work and rest days) apply only to workmen and to non-workmen earning below a salary cap. It is administered by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). Employers must provide itemised payslips and a written statement of the Key Employment Terms, and must observe the Act's rules on salary payment, leave and notice.

Contributions and benefits sit alongside the contract. The Central Provident Fund Act requires CPF contributions for Singapore citizens and permanent residents, and the Child Development Co-Savings Act and related provisions govern maternity, paternity and childcare leave. The Work Injury Compensation Act provides a no-fault scheme for workplace injuries, and the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices steer recruitment and dismissal towards fairness.

Termination and restraint clauses are the classic traps. Notice must follow the contract or, failing that, the statutory minimum under the Employment Act, and salary in lieu of notice must be calculated correctly. A post-employment non-compete is enforceable only if it protects a legitimate interest -- such as confidential information or client connections -- and is reasonable in scope, duration and geography; a blanket ban on competing is likely to be struck down.

• Drafted for the Employment Act 1968 and current Ministry of Manpower practice.
• Built with CPF, the Tripartite Guidelines and Key Employment Terms in mind.
• Reviewed by legal professionals, with a focus on clear rights, salary and notice.
• Ready to use as PDF and Word, so you can issue or adapt them immediately.
• Practical structure: guided fields for role, compensation, probation and notice.