General guidance only — rules change, so always double-check current requirements at mom.gov.sg or with an employment professional before making a specific decision.

Who's covered
The Employment Act covers every staff member with a contract of service — local or foreign, full-time or part-time. Part-time means under 35 hours a week; those staff get their own set of rules (the Employment of Part-Time Employees Regulations) which pro-rate things like leave and holiday pay based on their hours compared to a full-timer.

Hours & rest days
Standard limit is 8 hours a day / 44 hours a week (up to 9 hours a day if they work a 5-day week). Every staff member needs at least 1 rest day a week — a full 24-hour period, unpaid, and they can't be made to work it except in genuine emergencies.

Overtime
Capped at 72 hours a month. Paid at no less than 1.5× their normal hourly rate. Working on a rest day or public holiday is paid differently again — it's on top of their normal rest-day/PH entitlement, not counted as regular overtime.

Part-time staff
Same protections as full-timers, just pro-rated — annual leave, sick leave, public holiday pay, and overtime pay are all scaled to their hours instead of a full-time amount.

Foreign staff
Kitchen and service roles are usually hired on a Work Permit — it must be valid before their first day. The Services sector (which F&B falls under) has a cap on how much of your total headcount can be foreign workers, and each Work Permit carries a monthly levy paid to MOM.

CPF (Singaporean / PR staff)
You contribute on their behalf once they earn more than $50/month — 17% of wages for staff under 55 (the rate steps down as they get older). Due by the 14th of the following month.

Payslips
Every staff member needs an itemized payslip each pay period — basic pay, any allowances, overtime, deductions, and CPF all broken out separately, not just a lump total.