What Key Employment Terms are
Key Employment Terms, or KETs, are a written record of the main terms of someone's job: who they work for, what they do, when they work, what they are paid, and the leave and benefits they get. The Ministry of Manpower requires employers to give covered employees this written record so that both sides have the same understanding from the start, and so a dispute later has something factual to refer back to.
You have to issue KETs to an employee who is covered by the Employment Act, started on or after 1 April 2016, and is employed for 14 days or more. The 14 days refers to the length of the contract, not the number of days actually worked. They should be issued in writing within 14 days of the start of employment, and soft copy, hard copy or handwritten are all fine. For staff whose contracts began before April 2016 it is optional, though issuing them anyway keeps your records consistent. These points reflect the Employment Act and the 2016 KET regulations; we record them from consistent secondary sources rather than MOM's own page, so check the MOM page if your situation is borderline.
The information a KET covers
MOM lists the items a KET should contain. In plain terms, that is: the employer and employee names; the job title, duties and start date; for a fixed-term role, the end date; the working hours, days per week and rest day; the salary period and basic salary, plus the basic rate of pay for hourly, daily or piece-rated staff; fixed allowances and fixed deductions; overtime details where overtime applies; other salary components such as bonuses; the types of leave; other medical benefits; the probation period; and the notice period. Place of work is optional but strongly encouraged.
Which items you can skip, and when
Not every item applies to every role. The end date only applies to fixed-term contracts. The overtime payment period and overtime rate only apply where overtime is in use, and Part IV of the Employment Act, which governs overtime, does not apply to managers and executives. Where an item does not apply, mark it N.A. rather than leaving it blank, so the reader can tell the difference between "does not apply" and "forgotten".
There is no mandated format
There is no single official file you must use. The requirement is that all the applicable items are present. An employment contract that already contains every item can serve as the KET. Terms that are common to a group of employees can sit in a staff handbook or on an intranet rather than being repeated in every individual's KET, as long as employees can readily access them. This tool follows MOM's section structure and item order so the output is instantly recognisable, without copying MOM's own document.
Keeping records
Keep a copy of each employee's KET with your employment records. When terms change, issue an updated set so the written record stays current. Sharing the employee details with your payslip records, as this tool does, keeps the two documents consistent.
MOM's templates and verification tool
MOM publishes template material for KETs, and a separate verification tool that checks whether your working hours, rest days and overtime arrangements meet Employment Act requirements. That verification tool checks compliance of the arrangements; this tool generates the document. Both are worth using together.
Common questions
Who has to be given Key Employment Terms?
Employees covered by the Employment Act who started on or after 1 April 2016 and are employed for 14 days or more. The 14 days is the length of the contract, not the number of days actually worked. The Employment Act covers employees on a contract of service, local and foreign, other than seafarers, domestic workers and public officers.
When do KETs have to be issued?
Within 14 days from the start of employment. Soft copy, hard copy and handwritten are all acceptable.
Is there a required format?
No. The requirement is that all applicable items are present. An employment contract that contains every item can serve as the KET, and terms common to a group of employees can sit in a handbook or intranet rather than being repeated for each person.
Do I need to issue KETs for staff hired before April 2016?
For contracts that began before 1 April 2016 it is optional. Anyone hired since then should have a set.
Does overtime always have to be included?
Only where Part IV of the Employment Act applies. It does not apply to managers and executives, or to employees earning above the Part IV salary thresholds, and in those cases the overtime items can be omitted.