In view of the COVID-19 situation, in-person advisory services is suspended till further notice. Our eServices remain available and you may file your case online.
Do take note of the time limit(s) to file your claim(s). If you have general queries on the Employment Act, please contact Ministry of Manpower.
If you have already made an appointment, we will contact you at the mobile number provided. There is no need to visit TADM Services Centres for advisory and transaction services.
For the latest updates relating to COVID-19 and the advisories issued, you may visit the websites of Ministry of Health and Ministry of Manpower.
Mediation helps employees and employers resolve employment disputes, or self-employed persons resolve payment-related disputes, amicably.
If you have an employment dispute, or payment-related dispute if you are a self-employed person, your first step should be to discuss it with the other party.
Arrange a meeting with your HR department
Going for the meeting
Finishing the meeting
Mediation is a process aimed at helping employees and employers resolve employment disputes, or self-employed persons resolve payment-related disputes, amicably.
Mediation is conducted by our professional mediators.
Our mediators will assist parties to explore options and arrive at fair and amicable outcomes.
Only the employee and employer, or self-employed person and business, and mediator will attend the mediation session. No lawyers are allowed.
Each session takes 2 to 3 hours, depending on the complexity and nature of the claim.
Most issues can be resolved in one session. If not, we will arrange for another session if necessary.
More than 8 in 10 claims are resolved through mediation.
Note: If you are self-employed, see Mediation for other employment or payment-related disputes instead.
For more information, you can refer to the Amendments to the Employment Act.
Note: If you are filing for both wrongful dismissal and salary-related claims, you need to file the two claims separately. We will mediate both claims in the same session if your wrongful dismissal claim is substantiated.
We provide mediation for:
You can submit a mediation request at TADM for the following claims:
| For employees |
Salary-related claims that are:
Wrongful dismissal claims for reinstatement or compensation under the Employment Act and Child Development Co-Savings Act. Please refer to the Tripartite Guidelines on Wrongful Dismissal published by the Ministry of Manpower to understand what is considered wrongful dismissal. |
|---|---|
| For employers | Only for notice pay, if an employee leaves without serving notice. |
File your claim early, as there are limits to the claim period and claim amount.
| Time limit for claims |
Salary-related claims:
Wrongful dismissal claims:
Note:If you are a manager or executive earning more than $4,500, you can only file a wrongful dismissal claim if you were dismissed on or after 1 April 2019. If you were dismissed with notice or salary in-lieu of notice or have resigned involuntarily, you must also have served your employer for at least 6 months. If you were dismissed without notice, no minimum service period is required. |
|---|---|
| Maximum claim amount |
If you are filing for both salary-related and wrongful dismissal claims, you may file claims worth up to $40,000 (non-union members) or $60,000 (union members). Claim limits apply when entering into a settlement agreement after mediation, or lodging a claim at the Employment Claims Tribunals. |
You can file a claim if you are:
Note: If you are a self-employed person, domestic worker, seafarer or public officer, you have other channels for handling your claim:
If the other party asks for a private settlement before mediation, you are encouraged to discuss this with an open mind. If you think you are able to reach an amicable settlement, this will save time.
If you have reached a settlement or changed your mind about the claim, you can withdraw your claim by submitting the “Withdrawal of Claim” form.
You should not postpone the mediation session because this inconveniences the other party, who has made arrangements to attend.
A change of date is allowed only in exceptional circumstances. You will be required to produce strong and valid reasons with supporting documents.
To request for postponement:
Your request is subject to the approval of our mediator. Without our approval, all parties must attend the original scheduled mediation session.
Note: There may be consequences for not attending the mediation.
You should bring:
Note:
If mediation is successful, a written settlement agreement will be reached. If mediation fails, you have the option of filing the claim with the Employment Claims Tribunals (ECT) under the State Courts.
If the mediation is successful, the mediator will issue a settlement agreement.
You can register the settlement agreement(s) as a binding order via the Community Justice and Tribunals System (CJTS) within 4 weeks . The registration fee for each settlement agreement is $10.
If the dispute is not resolved at mediation, you may be issued a claim referral certificate for you to file your claim at the ECT within 4 weeks.
You can file your claim via the Community Justice and Tribunals System (CJTS).
The lodgement fee for each claim is:
For mediation to be effective in helping to resolve the dispute, both parties must attend.
As the claimant, your case may be discontinued if you do not attend mediation without a valid reason.
If the other party does not attend, you may pursue the case further at the ECT. The ECT may impose cost on the other party who did not attend mediation and award the cost to you.
The party responding to the claim will need to pay the agreed amount within 2 weeks of the settlement agreement, or by a mutually agreed date.
After you have received payment, inform us by returning the Updating Payment Status of Settlement Agreement form or the ECT Order form.
If the other party fails to pay you as agreed, contact us as indicated in the Payment Status of Settlement Agreement form or the ECT Order form. We will assess the options available to help you.
Local low-income employees will be assisted through the Short-Term Relief Fund if they are unable to recover unpaid salaries due to business failure. The fund broadly covers the bottom 20th percent of the workforce.
Migrant workers will be referred to the Migrant Workers' Centre, which can provide relief on a case-by-case basis.
If your dispute is not covered by employment laws, we may offer you mediation if civil actions have not started.
If you are self-employed and your dispute is payment-related, you may approach the Small Claims Tribunals (SCT) or we may also refer you to the respective sector agencies to provide the necessary assistance.
Sector agencies refer to those agencies that regulate or oversee the particular sector that self-employed persons work in. They include:
| Sector Agency | For more information |
|---|---|
| Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) | Subsidised mediation service (For media freelancers only) |
| Land Transport Authority (LTA) | feedback@lta.gov.sg |
Alternatively, self-employed persons can also make an appointment for an advisory session at TADM. Our Advisory Officers will go through the case with you and advise you if mediation is suitable.
If a settlement is reached through mediation, the mediator will document the terms of the settlement into an agreement.
You will need to pay a non-refundable registration fee for mediation.
For employees, this fee will depend on your last drawn monthly income:
For self-employed persons, this fee will depend on your payment dispute amount:
You may be referred to us for mediation if you have appealed to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). You need to appeal to MOM within 1 month after your last day of employment.
Upon referral by MOM, you and your employer will be asked to attend a mediation session at TADM. The aim of the session is to reach a fair and amicable settlement.
For instructions, refer to the following:
