WICA protects all employees in general regardless of how much they earn. It replaces the Workmen’s Compensation Act from 1 April 2008 and is enforced by the Work Injury Compensation Department, Ministry of Manpower (MOM).

Who Is Covered Under WICA?

• All employees engaged in a contract of service or apprenticeship, regardless of how much they earn.
  
  
• Employees who meet with an accident while working overseas are also covered under WICA.

Who Is Not Covered Under WICA?

• Self-employed persons
• Independent contractors
• Domestic workers
• Employees of the Singapore Armed Forces, Singapore Police Force, Singapore Civil Defence Force, Central Narcotics Bureau, and Singapore Prisons Service

What Is The Protection Given?

• An employee injured in a work-related accident, including contracting occupational diseases, is entitled to claim:
  
  
  • medical expenses
  • paid medical leave
  • paid hospitalisation leave
  • 2/3 of the employee’s wages up to a maximum period of 1 year from the date of accident
  • compensation for death and permanent disability

Who Has To Compensate When An Employee Is Injured?

• The Company or its insurer must pay.
  
  

  Type Of Employee	Obligations Of The Company
  Manual labourers or workers whose average monthly earnings* is S$1,600 or less	You are required by law to take up workman's compensation insurance for all your workmen. Failure to provide the insurance is an offence punishable with a fine of up to S$10,000, or a jail term of up to 1 year, or both.
  All other employees (involved in non-manual work or whose average monthly earnings* is above S$1,600)	It is not compulsory to take up insurance for your employees. However, you are required to pay the compensation entitled under the Act out of your own pocket if you did not purchase the insurance.

  
  *Average monthly earnings include wages, allowances, overtime payments, bonuses and annual wage supplements. Travelling allowances, employer's CPF contributions, pensions and monies paid to cover any special expenses incurred by the workman during his/her employment are not covered.

What Should I Do When My Employee Is Injured?

• You should send your injured employee to see a doctor as soon as possible.
  
  
• You need to give a copy of the Medical Report Form for Work Injury Compensation (PDF) to the doctor treating your employee’s injury. The doctor will fill up the form and send it directly to the Work Injury Compensation Department, Ministry of Manpower.
  
  
• You must pay for all medical fees and expenses.
  
  
• You must continue to pay your employee’s wages while he/she is on medical or hospitalisation leave.
  
  
• You must report the accident using iReport on MOM's website within 10 days of the accident if:
  
  
  • the accident results in the death of the employee
  • the accident causes the employee to be unfit for work for more than 3 consecutive days or to be hospitalised for 24 hours
  • the employee receives a written diagnosis from a medical practitioner for suffering an occupational disease at your workplace
    
    
• Failure to report a work-related accident is an offence punishable with a fine of up to S$10,000, or a jail term of up to 6 months, or both.

What Should I Do When My Employee Wants To Claim Compensation?

• Your employee has up to 1 year from the date of the accident to claim Work Injury Compensation. He/She needs to submit the Application for Work Injury Compensation Form (PDF) to the Ministry of Manpower.
  
  
• You will receive a Notice of Assessment from the Work Injury Compensation Department.
  
  
• You or your insurer must then pay the compensation directly within 21 days to the employee or to the Commissioner, Work Injury Compensation Department.
  
  
• Failure to pay compensation is an offence punishable with a fine of up to S$10,000, or a jail term of up to 1 year, or both.

Where Can I Find More Information?

• More about Work Injury Compensation
• More about Reporting Incident (Accidents and Occupational Diseases)
• Work Injury Compensation Act