Employment Claims Tribunal has made 17 judgments public in 2026, clarifying how dismissal guidelines are applied

A 41-year-old Malaysian was sentenced on 22 Oct to six years and one month’s jail and fined S$6,000 for brokering work permit applications so 27 Malaysians could enter Singapore and open bank accounts for a syndicate. His charges included offences under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, and he has filed an appeal.

MOM said on 24 Oct it is investigating Process Maintenance Solutions and Jurong Technical & Construction over salary arrears owed to migrant workers. It is working with the Migrant Workers’ Centre and TADM to help affected workers with salary claims, accommodation and alternative jobs.

The government is reviewing whether criminal record screening for people working with children should extend beyond the sectors it currently covers — following parliamentary questions raised on 8 September 2026. Screening today applies to MOE school staff, ECDA-licensed preschool employees, mosque workers, recognised religious teachers, and SportSG-registered coaches. Under review: private tutors, sports coaches, arts…

From 1 January 2029, Singapore will move the statutory retirement age up to 65 and the re-employment age up to 70. Flexible work arrangements for older workers will also be expanded.

The Institute for Adult Learning launched the Skills-First Framework for Action on 19 Oct, proposing 12 pilot initiatives to help employers hire, develop and promote workers based on skills rather than qualifications or previous titles. It was co-authored with SWDA, NTUC, SBF, SNEF and SUSS, and IAL will set up an observatory to study how well the practices work.

A CNA explainer, drawing on interviews with employment lawyers, sets out how the Employment Act protects employees who are pregnant or on maternity leave, including the bar on giving dismissal notice during maternity leave and the need for a genuine reason unrelated to the pregnancy, such as proven misconduct after a due inquiry. It cites MOM figures that 387 pregnancy-related wrongful dismissal claims were filed at TADM between April 2019 and 2025, and a September 2026 tribunal award of S$19,800 to a woman found to have been wrongfully dismissed.