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Laws and norms to consider when hiring in Singapore
- Workweek: The standard workweek in Singapore is 44 hours, and employees may not be required to work more than six consecutive hours without a break. Employees who are required to work more than eight hours a day or 44 hours a week must be paid time and a half.
- Right to organize: An employment contract may not restrict the right of an employee to participate in or join a registered trade union. Any attempt to prohibit a person from joining or force resigning from a trade union is punishable by fine or imprisonment.
- Vacation: Employees who have worked with a company for three months are entitled to seven days of paid vacation annually and accrue one additional day for every year of service, up to 14 days.
- Holidays: Singapore observes 10 public holidays, and if employees work on a holiday, they are entitled to a full dayโs pay in addition to their regular pay. When a holiday falls on a Sunday, employees are given Monday off. If two holidays happen to fall on the same date, the president can declare any other day that year a public holiday.
- Benefits: Employees are entitled to six days per year of leave to care for a child younger than seven years old. Female employees who have worked for their employer for three months are entitled to 16 weeks of paid maternity leave. The first eight weeks of leave are paid by the employer and the remaining eight weeks are paid by the governmentโa benefit capped at $10,000 USD per month. Adoptive mothers of children under 12 months are also entitled to paid leave for 12 weeks. The first four weeks of leave are paid by the employer and the remaining eight weeks are paid by the government.
- Culture: In Singapore, English is the main languageโmaking international business communication easierโbut local Singaporeans are known for adding unique phrases to the language, which they call โ Singlish. โ On a regulatory level, the government of Singaporeโor โGahmenโ as the locals call itโis infamously known for keeping the metropolis tidy by strictly enforcing sanitation and general environmental cleanliness.
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