If your employer has not paid wages you earned while working in Punggol, first establish the exact unpaid amount and salary period, preserve your contract and work records, and act before Singapore’s employment-claim deadlines expire. A salary dispute is not the same as a harassment complaint, a CPF enforcement issue or a genuine freelancer’s unpaid invoice. The appropriate route depends on your real employment relationship and what is owed.

For most eligible employees, the practical sequence is confirm the employer → calculate each disputed wage component → ask payroll for a written explanation → file through the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) when needed → attend mediation → use the Employment Claims Tribunals (ECT) if unresolved. TADM is a government-linked mediation and advisory route; it does not automatically award the amount requested merely because an online claim was submitted.

Act promptly. TADM says an employee still employed generally needs to file a salary-related claim within one year after the dispute arose. After leaving, the worker generally has six months from the last date of employment, with a separate one-year claim-period lookback. A wrongful-dismissal claim normally has a much shorter one-month deadline after the last day. They are different clocks. The governing source is TADM’s employee claim service.

Unpaid salary: the fast-reference table

Question	Singapore’s general 2026 position	Your next step
Is salary overdue?	For Employment Act-covered staff, regular salary is generally payable within seven days after the salary period	Check salary-period dates and actual bank entries
Is overtime late?	Covered overtime usually has a separate deadline within 14 days after the overtime period	Check eligibility, approved hours and dates
Still employed?	File salary-related claims within one year after the dispute arose	Do not allow older wage months to expire
Already left?	File within six months of your final employment day, subject to the claim-period rules	Read the exact calendar deadline
Wrongfully dismissed?	Typically file within one month of the last day	Do not confuse with the salary-claim period
Normal maximum salary claim	Up to S$20,000 per claim	Verify claim value and eligibility
Union-assisted maximum	Up to S$30,000 per claim when the union files on your behalf	Contact your union
TADM filing fee	S$10 for claims at or below S$10,000; S$20 above that	Pay through the genuine official service
If mediation succeeds	Register a Settlement Agreement through the court’s designated system if applicable	Follow the agreement and registration steps
If mediation fails	Obtain a Claim Referral Certificate, then file at ECT within four weeks	Do not miss the second deadline
Does ECT require lawyers?	Lawyers cannot represent parties at ECT proceedings	Prepare evidence and follow court guidance
Are everyone and all disputes covered?	No; exclusions and separate regimes apply	Identify the correct legal route first

Source: TADM’s mediation guide and Singapore Judiciary’s employment-claim filing guide.

First identify which employer actually owes you money

A person working at Waterway Point, Singapore Institute of Technology or inside a Punggol Digital District building may be employed by a shop operator, service contractor or private company, rather than the owner of the premises. The site name printed on a uniform is not proof of who legally owes salary.

Look for the legal employer’s name on the employment contract, key employment terms, payslip, CPF records and official company communications. Where appropriate, verify an unfamiliar entity through ACRA’s Bizfile search.

An employment agency may have introduced you to the role but not be your employer. Conversely, an agency employing workers for assignments may itself be responsible for payroll. Check the actual contract of service before directing a salary claim at the landlord, client or recruitment advertiser.

A worker should also preserve the UEN, business mailing address and available contact details because TADM’s electronic filing process asks for the respondent’s information. Do not substitute the general address of “Punggol Digital District” for the legal company.

Identifying the right party is a procedural step, not an accusation. A legitimate outsourcing arrangement can exist; the worker still needs an accurate contract and wages.

Employee or freelancer? The difference matters to TADM

MOM distinguishes a contract of service, which creates employment, from a contract for service, used by a genuinely independent contractor. The label in the document is not the only test; the actual control, work arrangements, economic risk and relationship matter.

A cashier rostered and supervised by a retailer may be an employee even if paid hourly. A freelance designer who independently quotes projects to clients might instead have a commercial invoice dispute. Filing an ordinary TADM employee salary claim is not automatically the right route for the latter.

If classification is uncertain, consult MOM’s contract-of-service explanation and TADM’s eligibility checker. Avoid changing factual descriptions to fit whichever route appears easier.

TADM also lists seafarers, domestic workers, statutory board employees and civil servants among exclusions for its ordinary employee salary-related claims, with specific statutory exceptions for some separate claim categories.

That matters for people pursuing Punggol-area public-sector work: government service employment can have its own grievance and administrative framework. The actual legal employer—not the presence of government signage—determines the correct process.

What can count as a salary-related claim?

TADM’s employee filing guide identifies several potentially claimable contractual or statutory items: salary, overtime pay, bonuses, commissions, contested deductions and non-payment of salary while on eligible paid leave. Specific maternity-leave-related claims may also qualify.

This does not mean every hoped-for discretionary bonus is legally owed. If the company never agreed to a guaranteed incentive and the payout remained discretionary under the actual terms, a claim may need different analysis from a missed fixed salary.

Similarly, an employee who disagrees with a performance rating cannot automatically turn the disappointment into a wages claim without an actual contractual or statutory amount being owed. A workplace harassment incident may require a separate TAFEP or legal route.

Build a claim line by line. What contractual or statutory basis makes this component payable? Which date was it due? What did the employer actually pay? What is the exact difference?

The more precise the component, the easier it is for payroll, a mediator or a tribunal to understand the dispute.

The ordinary salary payment deadline

MOM’s paying-salary guidance says an employee covered by the Employment Act should generally be paid at least monthly and no later than seven days after the salary period ends. Applicable overtime pay is normally due within fourteen days after the end of its overtime period.

These are different deadlines. If a salary period runs from 1 through 30 September, the general monthly salary deadline follows after that period. Overtime paid separately may have a later statutory timeline. Identify the actual contractual salary period; it is not necessarily a calendar month.

The employee should not treat any bank deposit that arrives late in the evening as automatically a legal violation without first checking the exact date, period and legitimate processing circumstances. Equally, a company should not rewrite its own agreed pay period each month to delay wages.

If some money has arrived, reconcile what portion was basic salary, fixed allowance, commission, overtime, reimbursement or an advance. A partial payment may reduce the outstanding amount but leave a valid disputed balance.

For first-time employees, our Punggol payslip and CPF guide explains the components in greater depth.

The first calculation: unpaid basic wages

Take a hypothetical Punggol service worker with a contracted fixed monthly basic salary of S$2,800. For a complete, otherwise ordinary salary period the employer pays S$2,200 as gross wages credited before any relevant statutory deduction rather than the contracted S$2,800, with no lawful explanation or adjustment.

The simple gross shortfall is S$2,800 − S$2,200 = S$600. But that figure alone does not settle the case. The worker must confirm that the S$2,200 was the actual gross salary amount rather than net bank cash after CPF.

If the bank deposit was S$2,200 because S$2,800 gross salary had applicable employee CPF and another lawful deduction, the underlying question is different. Do not calculate unpaid wages by blindly subtracting a bank deposit from the basic salary.

Get the itemised payslip, identify the salary period and compare relevant deductions under MOM’s salary deduction rules. Verify whether the month was incomplete or included approved leave without pay.

Only after this reconciliation should the worker present the S$600 as a disputed gross salary difference in the illustrative scenario.

An overtime dispute is not always a simple 1.5-times calculation

The Employment Act’s Part IV overtime provisions apply to particular employee categories and salary thresholds, rather than automatically to every manager, professional or executive. A covered worker may have an entitlement under statutory formulas, while another worker relies on contractual overtime arrangements.

For workers who qualify, MOM generally provides an overtime rate of at least 1.5 times the hourly basic rate for the relevant hours, with specific shift and part-time rules. Identify actual working time and genuine meal breaks.

A person who worked twelve hours onsite does not automatically have twelve paid working hours if genuine unpaid rest intervals apply. Conversely, a mandatory task performed during a supposed unpaid break may need proper review.

Keep approved time records, rosters, handover communications and payroll statements. Do not fabricate an approval message or a timesheet because the real records are incomplete. Accurate evidence matters more than a dramatic total.

Our shift rosters and overtime guide explains eligibility and worked overtime calculations separately.

Commission and bonus claims need the actual earning conditions

Imagine an invented sales employee promised S$400 commission on each completed qualifying sales milestone, payable at the end of the stated cycle. Two milestones were completed and confirmed, but only S$400 commission appeared on the payslip.

The arithmetic could suggest a S$400 commission shortfall. Yet before claiming it, read the incentive policy: Did the milestones qualify? Was payment contingent on collection, return, approval or remaining employed on a particular date? Were those conditions valid and disclosed?

A commission described only as “up to S$800” is not a guaranteed S$800 wage for every month. A discretionary annual bonus differs from a contractual bonus already earned under clear conditions.

TADM can consider applicable contractual bonus and commission issues, but the claimant must provide the real agreement and evidence. A graph of high sales alone is not proof of the exact sum legally payable.

Ask the employer to identify the formula and the specific reason a payment was excluded. A good explanation may resolve the matter without formal proceedings.

Build a month-by-month salary ledger

Salary period	Agreed payable component	Pay actually recorded	Disputed difference	Supporting evidence
Illustrative July	S$2,800 basic	S$2,800 gross	S$0	Contract and payslip
Illustrative August	S$2,800 basic	S$2,600 gross	S$200	Contract, timesheet and payroll
Illustrative September	S$2,800 basic	S$2,200 gross	S$600	Contract, payslip and bank reconciliation
Illustrative commission	S$800 if two confirmed milestones	S$400	S$400, subject to policy	Incentive terms and approval records
Illustrative total	—	—	S$1,200 disputed	Reconcile each line separately

This is an invented instructional ledger, not an actual Punggol salary dispute. The amounts are not official claim entitlements or proof of nonpayment.

Do not combine the same wage shortfall into multiple claims under different names. For instance, if basic wages were S$2,800 and a net bank deposit reflects employee CPF, subtracting CPF again as “unpaid basic salary” would overstate the dispute.

A ledger with consistent payroll periods lets both sides focus on identifiable amounts rather than broad statements such as “the company owes me a lot”.

Preserve evidence without taking confidential company files unlawfully

TADM says supporting documents may include employment contracts, key employment terms, salary records, attendance records, CPF statements, termination letters and relevant emails or WhatsApp messages.

Keep copies of the employment documents that you lawfully possess. A schedule showing when *you* worked may be relevant. Do not secretly export entire customer databases, colleagues’ payroll records or protected company systems in an attempt to strengthen a claim.

If the employer controls a critical record, identify it precisely in your application and seek proper advice about how it can be requested or produced. An employee can say which timesheets or rosters exist without making an unauthorised copy of an unrelated document.

Save original messages with relevant dates and context; avoid editing text to remove sentences that change the meaning. Make a separate chronology and explain any uncertainty honestly.

Good evidence is not necessarily a large file. It is evidence that connects the legal duty, the relevant date and the amount unpaid.

Ask payroll for a written calculation before escalating where practical

A first written enquiry should identify the month, item and mismatch. For example: “The contracted basic wage for September is S$2,800. The September payslip records S$2,600 gross before statutory deductions. Could you confirm which authorised adjustment accounts for the S$200 difference and when it will be corrected if it is an error?”

This does not accuse anyone of intentional misconduct. A missed allowance, late sales update or incorrect leave record may be an administrative problem the company can resolve.

Send the question to the actual employing entity’s authorised payroll or HR contact. Keep the response and any corrected payslip. If part of the amount is corrected, update the ledger and avoid claiming money already paid.

A worker should not wait indefinitely for a vague promise that “we will look at it next quarter,” especially as a filing deadline approaches. Informal discussion does not automatically stop a statutory time limit.

Where it is unsafe or impractical to raise the issue directly, TADM’s official advisory route can help explain next steps. A worker’s safety matters alongside the money.

The first deadline: still employed or already left?

TADM’s salary-related claim page distinguishes two clocks:

• Still employed: a salary claim must generally be filed within one year of the date the dispute arose.
• Employment already ended: a claim must generally be filed within six months of the last day of employment.
• Lookback limitation: the claim generally cannot recover salary owed for periods earlier than one year before the filing date, even if the worker has already left.

These conditions should not be simplified into “you always have six months from payday” or “you can claim every unpaid month from a previous five-year job”. The rules are more precise.

Do not reuse a friend’s exit date as your deadline. Count from your own relevant dates and use TADM’s current mediation guide for month-end examples.

If there are several unpaid wage periods, older ones can fall outside the claim period while newer ones remain potentially eligible. Prepare the chronology carefully.

A worked deadline example for an employee still at work

Suppose an employee is still employed and claims salary that first became due on 15 November 2025. Under the ordinary one-year filing rule for employed claimants, the worker would need to act by the corresponding November 2026 deadline for that dispute, subject to the applicable formal computation.

That does not mean the worker should wait until the last possible day. The person may need time to collect salary records, identify the actual employing entity and submit the claim and payment successfully.

If August, September and October 2026 have different disputed amounts, each needs its own dates and explanation. The earliest item is particularly important because it will reach the one-year boundary first.

TADM’s system can help assess claim eligibility and formal timing. Use the exact official filing tool rather than deciding the whole issue from this hypothetical date.

A practical worker can send a polite clarification to payroll and begin preparing an official claim in parallel when a deadline is near.

A worked deadline example after leaving employment

Imagine a worker’s last employment day is 31 March 2026. The ordinary six-month post-employment salary claim window runs to the corresponding end-of-month deadline, in this illustration 30 September 2026, following the official month-end calculation.

As of October 2026, that hypothetical worker would already have passed the ordinary six-month filing deadline. An ongoing conversation with the previous manager would not automatically reopen the period.

Now imagine instead that the last day was 31 May 2026. The six-month deadline falls at the corresponding date in November 2026, with precise month-end rules to be checked on TADM’s guidance.

The separate one-year lookback still matters. A claimant leaving this year cannot automatically include wages from several years ago simply because the final employment ended recently.

These cases are illustrative and do not settle extensions or special legal issues. Consult TADM immediately if a deadline has passed or is near.

Wrongful dismissal is a different and shorter claim

TADM’s wrongful dismissal route generally requires a claim within one month of the last day of employment, with specific special provisions for pregnancy-related cases.

A person claiming that the employer deliberately dismissed them because they exercised a statutory employment right needs to assess wrongful dismissal, not merely calculate unpaid salary. The evidence and eligibility rules are different.

TADM notes that managers and executives dismissed with notice, or people who resigned involuntarily, must meet particular service requirements for a wrongful dismissal claim. Do not assume every resignation after a stressful meeting automatically qualifies.

If both salary and wrongful dismissal issues exist, carefully identify each and the applicable limits and deadlines. A worker should not wait six months before raising wrongful dismissal because they read that the salary claim clock is six months.

Our Punggol resignation and final salary guide explains the ordinary employment exit process. It is separate from this formal dispute guide.

TADM claim limits: S$20,000 is not a general payout promise

For eligible salary-related claims, TADM gives a normal S$20,000 maximum per claim for a non-union member. If a union files on behalf of a member under the applicable framework, the maximum is S$30,000 per claim.

TADM also explains that, where a person has both salary-related and wrongful-dismissal claims, the combined claim limits may reach S$40,000 for non-union claims or S$60,000 for union-assisted claims, subject to their distinct per-claim caps.

A cap is the amount the forum can handle under the relevant process, not a guarantee that a claimant receives it. The worker needs a valid entitlement and evidence of what was actually unpaid.

For disputed amounts above the tribunal’s jurisdictional limits, other legal routes may need consideration, including professional advice. Do not deliberately split one claim or leave out components solely to manipulate a cap without understanding the relevant rules.

Union members should contact the union early rather than file independently and assume higher limits will automatically appear later.

What the formal TADM filing process requires

A non-union employee can use TADM’s employee mediation eService. The portal asks for Singpass, personal and employment details, the legal employer’s identity, claim amounts and relevant evidence.

TADM’s published non-refundable filing fee is S$10 including GST per claim at or below S$10,000, or S$20 including GST per claim above S$10,000. The fee is not a payment to a recruiter, private mediator or unknown messaging account.

TADM says payment must be received within three days from filing, or the unpaid claim can be purged and need refiling. It expects a properly prepared claimant to complete the online process within approximately twenty minutes, but that is an estimate, not an assurance.

The employer will be notified and given a chance to respond. Filing is the beginning of a formal dispute process, not a private report that remains secret from the company indefinitely.

Keep confirmation of the successful submission, payment and subsequent TADM directions. If uncertain, use the genuine “Ask TADM” service on its official website.

What happens during TADM mediation?

A mediator helps the parties discuss a disputed claim and explore a lawful settlement. The employee should be ready to explain the claim basis, period, computation, documents and outcome requested. The employer should be able to present its records and explanation.

Mediation is not a courtroom where the mediator simply chooses a winner. Both sides can assess the evidence and decide whether to settle within the applicable framework.

A worker should arrive with a short chronological summary and a calculation table, not rely entirely on emotionally recounting a difficult workplace relationship. Feelings may matter, but the salary claim needs an identifiable amount.

If part of the claim is conceded and paid, update the figures. Do not describe a partial settlement as complete unless the actual signed terms say so.

Do not agree to a settlement simply because you feel pressure to finish the meeting. Read what the agreement covers, the payment dates and whether you are giving up any further claims.

What if mediation succeeds?

TADM explains that parties who reach an agreement can have a Settlement Agreement (SA). The official mediation guide sets out the process for registering a qualifying SA with the State Courts through the Community Justice and Tribunals System (CJTS).

Registration allows an appropriately registered settlement to have legal force as a court order. The applicable court registration fee is S$10, according to the current TADM guide, and procedural conditions apply.

Before signing, verify the paying entity, amount, due date and exact matters settled. A worker can ask what happens if the employer misses the payment deadline rather than assuming the agreement will enforce itself automatically.

If the employer pays as agreed, retain confirmation and close the personal ledger. If payment is missed, the official enforcement process may be relevant; seek guidance on the registered order.

A settlement is a concrete document with obligations, not an oral promise that “next week the accountant will sort it out”.

What if mediation fails? The Claim Referral Certificate

When mediation does not resolve a qualifying claim, TADM can issue a Claim Referral Certificate (CRC) allowing the unresolved matter to be taken to the Employment Claims Tribunals.

This creates another deadline: Singapore Judiciary says an ECT claim must be filed within four weeks after the CRC is issued. A claimant who met the first TADM deadline can still lose the opportunity to proceed by missing the second one.

The filing is through the Community Justice and Tribunals System (CJTS) and has an ECT fee of S$30 for claims of S$10,000 or less or S$60 for claims above S$10,000, under the published procedure.

Singapore Judiciary also says the claimant must serve the relevant documents on the respondent within seven days after filing. Do not assume pressing the electronic submit button finishes service requirements.

Read the specific Judiciary guide to filing and serving employment claims. The guide notes that lawyers cannot represent parties in ECT hearings, although legal advice may still be useful before proceeding.

The Court’s role is different from a mediator’s

The ECT can determine eligible unresolved salary-related or wrongful-dismissal claims after the required TADM mediation and CRC process. It is not the same as a general workplace complaint hotline.

The tribunal examines the applicable law and evidence. The worker should be able to state which agreement or law was breached, what happened, what the employer did or did not pay, and the precise remedy requested.

A good claimant is not the person with the longest written complaint. It is the person who presents complete, accurate and relevant facts within the forum’s scope and procedural deadlines.

If the claim is not one ECT can hear—such as certain ordinary freelancer invoicing disputes—the court’s employment route may not be appropriate. Check jurisdiction rather than treating ECT as a universal small-money court.

Procedural documents can include hearings and service steps. Follow the latest court notice, not an old guide showing another case’s dates.

What about unpaid CPF contributions?

Employee and employer CPF contributions involve statutory CPF obligations that the CPF Board administers. An employer failing to remit required CPF is not automatically the same as a contractual salary dispute.

A worker should compare the salary period, eligible wage amounts and CPF transaction history. CPF payments can be posted after the wage month under the relevant statutory submission timetable, so check the due and processing dates before alleging nonpayment.

If contributions are genuinely missing, contact the CPF Board through its official service and preserve the payslip, employment terms and wage evidence. Do not invent missing contribution totals using an assumed flat rate for all ages and PR statuses.

The issue can coexist with unpaid salary. Treat the two as related but separate questions, and let the responsible authority explain the appropriate route.

Our Punggol payslip and CPF article explains ordinary contributions and wage classifications.

What if the company is insolvent or closing?

A particularly important exception appears on TADM’s employee filing page: employees should not use the ordinary salary filing route when the company is subject to bankruptcy, judicial management or liquidation. The responsible insolvency office, appointed judicial manager or liquidator may have the appropriate claims process.

This is different from a company merely saying it is short of cash. A business may be struggling without having entered a formal insolvency proceeding. The status needs verification.

Before paying a TADM filing fee, identify whether a court-appointed officer or formal process exists. TADM’s advisory service can help distinguish ordinary unpaid wages from insolvency treatment.

Keep payroll and employment evidence in either situation. The route changes, but accurately proving what was owed remains essential.

Do not assume a company dissolved in name only can avoid all possible consequences, or that every claim against a failed business will be recoverable. Legal rights and actual recoverability are different.

What if the employer is a public agency?

Public officers working under ministries and statutory boards can have different personnel and dispute processes. TADM’s ordinary salary-related claim eligibility expressly excludes civil servants and statutory board employees, among other specified groups.

That does not mean public officers have no rights or internal remedies. It means this particular filing route may not be appropriate. Look for the employing ministry or statutory board’s HR process, applicable service rules and official advisory assistance.

A person employed by a private contractor working in a public institution may be in a different position. Do not classify them as a civil servant merely because their work takes place on a government campus or facility.

The important distinction is again the actual employing entity and contract. Punggol’s mix of organisations makes this clarification particularly useful.

Our forthcoming public-service employment guide covers the difference between a government agency job and private work at a publicly associated site.

What if a worker was employed on a work pass?

Foreign employees covered by the relevant employment rules can have eligible salary claims, subject to the statutory exclusions and exact relationship. A work pass is not permission for an employer to withhold agreed wages.

A work-pass holder should preserve the actual legal employer, pass details, employment terms, payslips and banking evidence. Some claims or exit situations have immigration and tax-clearance implications; get official guidance rather than improvising work-pass arrangements.

Do not let a recruiter collect a “TADM processing fee” into a private bank account. The actual fee schedule and payment channels are on TADM’s official website.

If the worker has resigned or had their pass cancelled, eligibility and timing need prompt attention. The person should not assume that departure from the job automatically removes all possible claims.

The MOM work-pass guide and TADM claim portal provide the separate official starting points.

A seven-day claim-preparation routine

Day one: identify the legal employer. Confirm name, UEN, contract period and the actual disputed salary months. If the worker has already left, calculate the six-month deadline immediately.

Day two: collect lawful records. Gather employment terms, payslips, CPF history, approved attendance and relevant messages. Distinguish gross, net and reimbursements.

Day three: build the ledger. Make one row per disputed item with amount promised, amount paid, evidence and due date. Remove double counting.

Day four: seek a clear written answer. Contact payroll or HR if practical. Ask for the precise calculation and payment date of any admitted shortfall.

Day five: check the correct forum. Use TADM’s assessment to determine employee eligibility, exclusions, claim category and maximum amount. Consider your union if applicable.

Day six: file appropriately. Submit documents and correct amounts through the official eService. Pay any required filing fee through the official process and retain confirmation.

Day seven: prepare for mediation. Summarise the disputed calculation and a reasonable outcome, keeping all important deadlines in view.

This is an editorial sequence not permission to wait seven days when a limitation period is about to end. Immediate filing may be necessary.

A mediation-ready one-page explanation

Use this structure: I worked for [legal employer] from [date] to [date]. My contract provides [relevant wage condition]. The disputed period is [dates]. The employer paid [amount], while the calculation from the agreement and records is [amount]. The difference is [amount]. Here are the supporting documents. I requested clarification on [date], and the response was [factual summary].

Do not include unrelated accusations or confidential information that the forum does not need. Distinguish events you personally witnessed from statements reported by others.

If you have several items, attach a table. If an item is uncertain, mark it as requiring clarification rather than inventing a figure to make the total larger.

A mediator can then identify what the parties agree on and what remains disputed. The employer can respond with its own records and explanations.

The objective is a fair, evidence-based resolution, not to win attention with the strongest adjectives.

A Punggol shift-worker example: disputed closing duties

Imagine a fictional retail employee whose roster says 10am–6pm but whose supervisor required a further 30 minutes of closing work on twelve occasions. The worker kept approved attendance records but the extra time never appeared on payroll.

The worker would first determine whether the extra work was actually performed and authorised, whether breaks were counted correctly, and whether the job qualifies for relevant statutory or contractual overtime.

The additional time totals 12 × 0.5 = six hours, but the amount payable cannot be calculated until the correct normal hours, salary basis, eligibility and rate are established.

A colleague’s assumption that “closing is always unpaid” is not proof of law. Likewise, a generic claim that every extra minute attracts 1.5 times pay may be incorrect for the worker’s category.

By presenting exact dates, hours and source records, the employee makes the dispute suitable for meaningful payroll review and possible mediation.

A second example: a paid-leave deduction

An invented employee used four days of leave that HR had previously confirmed as paid annual leave, but the next payslip shows a four-day unpaid leave deduction.

The person should check whether the leave had actually accrued, was formally approved and was correctly classified. An HR error is possible; so is a misunderstanding about unpaid leave during an incomplete service period.

A useful claim document includes the leave approval, relevant balance, salary calculation and the disputed deduction. Avoid simply declaring every recorded absence a statutory entitlement without checking service qualifications.

If HR corrects the deduction in the next payment, record the correction and adjust any formal claim. The goal is the amount lawfully owed, not a duplicate recovery.

For family and medical leave specifically, our Punggol annual, sick and childcare leave guide explains the different qualifying schemes.

What employers can do to avoid a formal dispute

A sound employer sets a clear salary period, gives accurate written employment terms, maintains attendance and payment records, issues itemised payslips and answers calculation questions promptly.

When a worker raises a discrepancy, payroll should investigate the real numbers rather than accuse the person of being disloyal. Mistakes can happen at either end. A small correction with a written explanation often prevents expensive mistrust.

Managers should not instruct staff to work required extra time while telling payroll that no such duties occurred. Similarly, workers should record actual hours, not inflate timecards after the event.

If the employer disputes the legal basis, it can explain the relevant contract, role coverage and wage definition. Where formal mediation is needed, cooperation helps clarify the issue.

Accurate salary practices protect the business, retain trust and reduce needless procedural cost.

Frequently asked questions about TADM and unpaid wages

How long can an employed worker wait to file?

For an ordinary eligible salary-related claim while still employed, TADM generally requires filing within one year after the dispute arose. Each disputed period matters.

What if I already resigned?

Generally file a salary-related claim within six months after your last employment day, subject to the separate one-year claim-period limit. Check exact month-end calculations.

Is the wrongful-dismissal deadline also six months?

No. It is generally one month after the last day of employment, with specific exceptions for pregnancy-related claims.

How much can a non-union employee claim?

The normal TADM/ECT limit is S$20,000 per eligible claim, subject to jurisdiction. This is not a guaranteed award.

Can a union member claim more?

The limit can be S$30,000 per claim if the union files on the worker’s behalf under the applicable process. Contact the union rather than assuming automatic eligibility.

Is TADM free?

The ordinary published filing fee is S$10 or S$20 inclusive of GST per claim, depending on the amount. Other advisory or procedural situations may have different fees.

Can I use an online salary calculator as evidence?

It may help organise the arithmetic, but the underlying contract, timesheets, payroll and legal rule still need to support the claim.

Does TADM automatically order an employer to pay?

No. TADM provides assessment and mediation. An unresolved eligible claim may go to ECT with the appropriate certificate.

What if the employer refuses to attend mediation?

Follow TADM’s official instructions. Do not assume a refusal alone automatically produces the full amount requested.

How quickly must I file after receiving a CRC?

Within four weeks of the certificate’s issue, according to Singapore Judiciary’s ECT guide.

Do I need to serve court papers after filing at ECT?

Yes. Judiciary guidance states the claimant must serve relevant documents within seven days after filing. Follow the particular court’s instructions.

Can a lawyer represent me at an ECT hearing?

Singapore Judiciary says lawyers are not permitted to represent parties in ECT proceedings, though appropriate legal advice may be sought separately.

Is an unpaid CPF contribution a TADM salary claim?

CPF contributions are regulated by CPF Board. A related salary issue may also exist, but do not assume one process replaces the other.

Can a freelancer use TADM to claim an unpaid client invoice?

Not automatically. A genuine contract-for-service dispute can require a different civil route rather than an employee salary claim.

What if my company is in liquidation?

TADM directs workers in formal bankruptcy, judicial management or liquidation scenarios toward the relevant insolvency office or appointed officer, rather than ordinary TADM filing.

What if I work at a public institution but a private company pays me?

Use the legal employer. Being physically stationed at a public site does not automatically make you a civil servant or statutory board employee.

Should I keep all colleagues’ payslips as proof?

No. Keep your own lawful records and seek proper production of relevant evidence. Avoid unauthorised disclosure of other employees’ private payroll.

Can I trust someone offering to file a TADM claim over WhatsApp for a large deposit?

Verify independently. TADM’s genuine filing charges and channels are published on its official site, and it warns about scams requesting bank access or transfers.

Official fact-check and limits

Verified for October 2026: TADM’s salary-related and wrongful-dismissal categories; S$20,000 and S$30,000 per-claim limits; one-year and six-month salary filing deadlines; one-month general wrongful-dismissal deadline; S$10/S$20 mediation claim fees; CRC and four-week ECT filing rule; and ECT service and representation conditions.

Invented examples: the S$2,800 pay case, S$1,200 disputed ledger, commission case, deadlines and shift handovers are educational illustrations, not real claims or legal determinations. Actual eligibility, filing date, employer status and evidence govern every case.

• TADM: Employee claim filing, eligibility, limits and fees
• TADM: Mediation guide and deadlines
• TADM: Know your options
• Singapore Judiciary: ECT filing and service process
• Singapore Judiciary: Eligible employment claims
• MOM: Salary payment rules
• MOM: Allowable salary deductions
• MOM: Contract of service
• CPF Board: Employee contribution records
• eduKatePunggol: Read your payslip and CPF
• Working in Punggol: complete series archive