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The World Bank 2010 Doing Business report - Singapore
Each index assigns values between 0 and 100, with higher values representing more rigid regulations. The Rigidity of Employment Index is an average of the other three indices.
Difficulty of Hiring Index 0
Rigidity of Hours Index 0
Difficulty of Firing Index 0
Rigidity of Employment Index 0
Firing costs (weeks of wages) 4
Hiring staff
Local labour laws are flexible, allowing for relatively free hiring and firing practices. Either party can terminate employment by giving the other party the required notice.
Labour management relations in Singapore are very good. About 22 percent of the workforce is unionised. The vast majority of unions are affiliated with the National Trades Union Congress which maintains a symbiotic relationship with the governing party.
Industrial disputes, when they exist, are usually settled at enterprise level or through mediation by the Government. When this fails, the matter is decided by the Industrial Arbitration Court, whose rulings are binding.
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Foreign personnel
Singapore is very open to foreign workers. Visit the Ministry of Manpower website regarding the rules and regulations for hiring foreign workers.
The Government places a ceiling on the ratio of unskilled / semi-skilled foreign workers to local workers that a company can employ, and charges a monthly levy for each unskilled or semi-skilled foreign worker.
(Additional sources used on this page: RSM Chio Lim, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu)
