Around 40 employers investigated for non-provision of itemised payslips, failure to pay salaries via electronic means
Around 120 salary claims were filed annually by work permit holders at the Employment Claims Tribunal (ECT) in the last five years, according to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
MOM said an average of around 120 salary claims were lodged at the tribunal between 2020 and 2024.
The ministry was responding to a question in Parliament that inquired whether it tracked how many salary claims have included employers that did not provide itemised payslips and did not pay employees electronically.
"We do not track if these salary claims include complaints that employers have not provided itemised payslips and have not paid employees electronically," the ministry clarified.
However, it noted that it tracks breaches in these areas by looking at complaints and proactive inspections.
"From 2020 to 2024, MOM investigated an average of around 40 employers each year for non-provision of itemised payslips and failure to pay salaries via electronic means for their work permit holders, and took enforcement action against errant employers," it said.
Singapore's ECT hears statutory-related claims made by employees under the Employment Act, Retirement and Re-employment Act (RRA), and the Child Development Co-Savings Act (CDCA).
According to Singapore Courts, some of the most common statutory-related claims include:
The overall incidence of salary claims in Singapore is at 2.93 per 1,000 employees, according to MOM's Employment Standards Report 2023.
This is slightly higher than the 1.68 incidence rate in 2022 but lower than the pre-COVID period of 2.68 in 2019.
Source: Employment Standards Report 2023
Resolution at TADM, ECT
According to the report, 88% of the salary claims lodged in 2023 were resolved at the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM), while 12% were referred to the ECT for adjudication.
The top three claim items for local employees are basic salary, salary in lieu of notice, and encashment of unconsumed annual leave.
For foreign employees, the top three claim items are basic salary, salary for overtime work, and salary for work done on rest days and public holidays.
"The top three claim items for both local and foreign employees have remained consistent over the years," the report read. "Collectively, they accounted for 81% of all salary claims lodged in 2023."
