Singapore · Weekly briefing · Nº 042

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TADM salary claims for EP / S Pass: filing clocks

Companion to salary disputes — still-employed vs left-employment TADM clocks, claim caps, mediation → ECT referral, and aligning pass cancel / STVP so you do not overstay while chasing arrears.

NextLiving2 min read

r/askSingapore’s “I’ll file TADM after I land home” threads miss the left-employment clock. Levy kickbacks and false declared-salary patterns live on salary disputes / TADM. This companion is the filing-clock / EP adjacency layer.

Clocks TADM publishes (verify live)

SituationFiling orientation
Still employedSalary-related claim: within 1 year after the dispute arose
Left employmentWithin 6 months from last date of employment (and claims generally cannot reach further back than 1 year from filing — read the live eServices text)
Wrongful dismissal (general)Often within 1 month of last day — parent guide
Wrongful dismissal tied to pregnancy / maternityWithin 2 months from date of confinement — parent guide

EP / S Pass holders under a contract of service are in the usual TADM population (exclusions include domestic workers, seafarers, public servants — verify live).

Caps and path

StepDetail
Advisory“Ask TADM” / appointment — MOM redirects salary/wrongful-dismissal help here
MediationOnline or in person; lawyers/friends generally not in the room under the Employment Claims Act framing
Settlement / ECTUnresolved → claim referral certificate → Employment Claims Tribunals
Caps (verify live)Often up to S$20,000 (or S$30,000 with recognised union / TMF assistance); combined salary + wrongful dismissal caps can be higher on the live page

Pass fear — do not invent overstay

TADM does not extend your EP. Align:

  1. Document arrears now
  2. File while still in Singapore if the left-employment clock is tight
  3. HR cancel / STVP choreography — between jobs
  4. New IPA before you burn the old job when you can — career pivots
  5. IR21 / exit tax if leaving — tax clearance

Decision rule

Diary the still-employed vs left-employment clocks → mediate at TADM → ECT only with a referral certificate. Parent patterns (levy kickbacks, fake declared salary) stay on salary disputes.

Sources & citations

Admin and policy details change. Prefer the official page when making decisions; we cite primary sources for Singapore government and statutory guidance.

  1. MOM — Managing employment disputes (TADM) (opens in a new tab)
  2. TADM — Employees file employment claim (opens in a new tab)
  3. Judiciary — File an employment claim (ECT) (opens in a new tab)
  4. MOM — Unpaid salary / unauthorised deduction FAQ (opens in a new tab)