Did you know that business owners are required by law to ensure they provide sufficient medical benefits for employees in Singapore?
When you take a look at the labour market in Singapore, you’ll find that this space is a favorite for foreign talent in Asia because the majority of Singapore’s companies provide medical benefits for employees in Singapore.
All business owners in Singapore are required by law to provide medical benefits to cater for the health of their workers.
Regulations relating to medical benefits for employees in Singapore are stated in the Employment Act. However, accounting for these medical benefits can be plenty of work.
Are you a Singapore company that’s unclear about how to handle medical benefits? You’re at the right place. This piece will reveal all the essential details about the employees’ medical benefits in Singapore.
Medical Benefits for Employees in Singapore: Do Businesses Have to Legally Provide?
Business owners and employers are expected to provide the following medical benefits for employees in Singapore for those who work for them.
Sick Leave and Hospitalization Leave
According to Singapore’s Employment Act, employees who have worked for more than 3 months are entitled to sick and hospitalization leave annually. This leave has to be certified by a medical practitioner.
| Length of Service (Completed Months) | Sick Leave | Hospitalisation Leave (Plus Duration of Sick Leave) |
| 3 months | 5 | 15 |
| 4 months | 8 | 30 |
| 5 months | 11 | 45 |
| 6 months thereafter | 14 | 60 |
This table shows the duration of sick and hospitalization leave. This duration is dependent on the number of months that the employee has worked during the year.
From this table, it’s clear that employees are entitled to up to 14 days of sick leave (without need for hospitalization).
If an employee has to go on a sick leave, they will need to produce a Medical Certificate (MC) to support their claim. You’ll find that employees who have worked less than 6 months will still get leave but a lower number.
If an employee is absent from work without certification by a medical practitioner, they’ll be treated as absent without permission or reason. Employees who go on a sick leave are expected to inform their employers within 48 hours.
This same condition will apply to employees whose sick leave is certified by legal practitioners aside from the ones approved by the company.
Quarantine Leave
The law does not specifically make provisions for a quarantine leave as part of the required medical benefits for employees in Singapore.
However, the Employment Act states that “an employee is hospitalized if the employee is warded in a hospital in such circumstances as may be prescribed or is under quarantine (whether or not in a hospital) under any written law”.
This regulation has gained more relevance during the past few years due to the COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown regulations. The law requires employers to treat such people as if they are on paid hospitalization leave.
Reimbursement of Medical Consultation Fees
The medical benefits for employees in Singapore also include requiring employers to pay the medical consultation fees of employees who have worked for more than 3 months.
However, it’s essential to note that reimbursement will be approved only for consultations taken from company-approved medical practitioners, specialists and dentists. The employee must also have been on sick leave for at least a day.
Employers are not obliged to reimburse medical consultation fees whenever an employee visits a doctor during a public holiday, weekends or non-working days, and on annual leave.
There’s also no obligation under the required medical benefits for employees in Singapore to cover expenses that do not come with a medical certificate (MC).
Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA)
Foreign employees and contract staff are those covered by WICA. According to this act, whenever an employee suffers bodily harm or injury as a result of their job, the employer is liable to cover all monetary damages.
This act continues to protect foreign employees if they stop working for you or are injured on an official foreign visit.
Under the Work Injury Compensation Act, employers are expected to provide the following medical benefits for employees in Singapore:
- Leave wages
- Medical expenses
- Additional compensation for disability or death
Are there Medical Benefits for Employees in Singapore on Probation?
Business owners are obliged to offer healthcare benefits to employees who have worked at least 3 months and covered by the Employment Act.
If the affected employee has worked for more than 6 months, they are entitled to a commensurate duration of paid sick leave.
The probation period may only affect additional health care benefits that the company provides outside the stipulations of the Employment Act.
What are the Challenges of Providing Medical Benefits for Employees in Singapore?
No doubt, medical benefits for employees in Singapore are an important aspect of the local labour system.
It allows the country to attract foreign talent and create safe working conditions for all employees, thereby inspiring them to put in their best efforts.
However, certain companies struggle with the provision of medical benefits for employees in Singapore. They may find it difficult to properly account for these benefits in their record books, or they may struggle to find a reliable local insurer.
How Can We Help?
It’s quite clear that every business has to take medical benefits for employees in Singapore seriously. However, it’s easier said than done.
When you consider the numerous activities that business owners are responsible for, you’ll understand how difficult it can be to handle this process yourself. Do you need help with compiling accounting services and medical benefits for employees in Singapore?
Why not hire Premia TNC to handle it for you? We are a top-rated, professional business consultancy firm with expert corporate secretaries and accountants to help you handle the entire process. We can help you with providing your workers with the required medical benefits for employees in Singapore.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is medical insurance essential for employees in Singapore?
There’s no statutory requirement that requires employers to provide health insurance as part of the medical benefits for employees in Singapore. Business owners are only expected to cater for the stipulations in the Employment Act.
What are the common medical benefits for employees in Singapore?
Employee benefits may vary depending on the company in question. However, the common options for medical benefits for employees in Singapore include sick and hospitalization leave, reimbursement of medical consultation fees, and quarantine leave.
