Employment Contract Review in Singapore

At IRB Law, our legal team helps employers and employees protect their rights and lawful interests and ensure compliance with legal requirements when signing a contract of service. Contact our lawyers today for employment contract review in Singapore and tailored recommendations.

Benefits of Employment Contract Review

For Employers

As an employer, you can benefit from a lawyer’s recommendations on how to:

• tailor your contract of service to specific roles,
• reflect your employment terms and internal policies within contracts of service,
• align your existing employment contracts with operational changes,
• incorporate legally valid non-competition and confidentiality clauses,
• establish clear termination terms,
• avoid disputes through clear employment contract terms,
• ensure compliance with the employment law in Singapore.

For Employees

Whether you have been offered a new role or have your contract of service already signed, an employment lawyer in Singapore can assist you with:

• explaining the legal terms and implications of your contract,
• identifying any critical details in your employment agreement,
• exploring opportunities to protect your rights in dismissal or termination,
• evaluating whether your contract complies with the employment law in Singapore,
• advising on negotiating with your employer.

Common Mistakes in Employment Contracts

In Singapore, all terms and conditions of an employment agreement should be aligned with the Employment Act. If any terms of your contract are less favourable than those of the Employment Act, then the provisions of the Employment Act shall be used.

Accordingly, a contract review lawyer will have to identify instances when your employment contract:

• does not comply with the requirements of existing, emerging, or new regulations,
• is not aligned with industry standards and prevailing business practices,
• lacks clarity on key terms, including remuneration or entitlements,
• includes any overtly broad or restrictive clauses,
• infringes on your lawful rights and interests in any respect,
• includes any vague terms that could lead to different interpretations,
• has any omissions of key terms that should be included.

Legal Frameworks

The Employment Act of Singapore is the central pillar of the legal system regulating relationships between employers and employees. The Employment Act covers full-time, part-time, temporary, and contract employees, and also extends to both Singapore citizens and expats working in the city-state.

In addition to the Employment Act, workplace relationships in Singapore are regulated by the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices, made by Tripartite Partners, including the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), and the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF). Other important legal frameworks include the Workplace Fairness Act 2025, the Platform Workers Act 2024, and other policies and standards developed by the Tripartite Partners.

Legal Requirements to Be Checked

When employment lawyers review a contract of service, they need to verify if the contract terms are aligned with the Employment Act of Singapore, Tripartite Guidelines, and other applicable regulations. In general, the non-exhaustive list of legal checks covers whether:

1. A particular workplace relationship is regulated by the Employment Act,
2. Role is covered by Part 4 of the Employment Act, including hours of work, rest days, and other conditions of service,
3. Employment contract includes the Key Employment Terms (KET),
4. KET include all essential clauses, e.g., job scope, remuneration and working hours,
5. Contract for foreign employees includes repatriation conditions,
6. Conditions of the employment contract are not less favourable than the terms of the Employment Act,
7. Employment contract meets the requirements of other regulations, including the Tripartite Guidelines,
8. Contract includes the statement on compliance, and CPF contributions,
9. Non-compete and confidentiality clauses are legally valid,
10. Dispute resolution clauses are clearly formulated.

What Our Lawyer Does When Reviewing an Employment Contract

Checking whether the contract of service is aligned with employment law in Singapore is one of the key aspects of any legal review.

Among all the steps in a legal review, the lawyer also conducts the following checks:

• Review of Key Employment Terms: Since each employment contract shall outline key employment terms such as job description, remuneration, duration of employment, working hours, probation period, and other essential details, the lawyer always checks if these are clearly outlined in the agreement.
• Review of Legal Compliance: A contract review lawyer conducts comprehensive checks to determine whether the terms of the contract of service comply with employment laws in Singapore.
• Pointing Out Issues or Concerns: When employment lawyers identify any inconsistencies in the contract of service or any aspects of the contract which can potentially lead to disputes, they highlight such areas and provide their comments.
• Guidance for Amendments and Negotiations: After identifying any aspects or concerns during the legal review, a lawyer will answer your questions and provide general recommendations for possible amendments.