Unpaid Salary: Claiming Through TADM and the Employment Claims Tribunals

If an employer does not pay salary that is owed, Singapore has a structured, low-cost route to recover it. It does not begin in court. It begins with mediation at TADM, and only unresolved claims move on to the Employment Claims Tribunals.

Two things decide whether your claim fits this route: how much is at stake, and how quickly you file.

This is general legal information, not legal advice. Consult a qualified advocate and solicitor about your situation. Figures are current as of 2026 and the Employment Act is under a broad tripartite review with recommendations expected in the second half of 2026.

Step one: mediation at TADM

The Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) is the required first stage. You register your claim with TADM, which assesses it and, if it is supported, refers it for mediation.

Mediation aims to reach a settlement without a hearing. If mediation resolves the claim, the matter ends there. If it does not, TADM issues a claim referral certificate that lets you file at the Employment Claims Tribunals.

Step two: the Employment Claims Tribunals

The Employment Claims Tribunals (ECT), part of the State Courts, hear employment claims that mediation did not settle. The ECT is designed to be accessible without a lawyer, and the process is quicker and cheaper than an ordinary civil suit.

The ECT hears statutory and contractual salary claims, as well as wrongful-dismissal claims, once they have been through TADM.

The claim caps

The ECT cannot hear a claim of any size. There are two ceilings:

The higher S$30,000 cap applies where the claim was mediated with union assistance, for a union recognised under the Industrial Relations Act 1960, or through the Tripartite Mediation Framework. For most individual claimants the operative cap is S$20,000.

If your claim is worth more than the applicable cap, you are not shut out. You can abandon the excess amount, that is, agree to claim only up to the cap, to keep the claim within the tribunal's jurisdiction. The trade-off is that you give up the part above the cap.

The filing deadlines

The route has strict time limits, and they differ by claim type. Do not compress them into a single deadline.

For a salary-related claim, you must file within 6 months after you leave employment. If you are still employed, the clock is different, so raise the claim promptly rather than waiting.

For a wrongful-dismissal claim, the window is much shorter: 1 month from the last day of employment. It extends to 2 months for a maternity-related dismissal, measured from the date of delivery. The wrongful dismissal page covers that claim in full.

What you can claim

The salary route covers unpaid salary, unpaid overtime pay where it applies, unauthorised deductions, unpaid salary in lieu of notice, and other contractual payments owed on termination. Whether overtime pay is claimable depends on Part IV coverage, explained on the Employment Act coverage page.

If the tribunal makes an order and the employer does not pay, the order can be enforced like a court judgment.

The Workplace Fairness Act is not yet live

A new discrimination-claim track is coming, but it is not available today. The Workplace Fairness Act, whose main Bill passed Parliament on 8 January 2025 and whose companion dispute-resolution Bill passed on 4 November 2025, will create a workplace-discrimination claim with a higher ceiling of S$250,000.

Commencement is reported for around the end of 2027, and the Act will initially apply to employers with 25 or more employees. Until it commences, the ECT's jurisdiction remains capped at S$20,000, or S$30,000 for union-assisted claims, with no separate discrimination track. For the wider structure, see the employment law section.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I claim unpaid salary in Singapore?

Start by registering a claim with the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM), which assesses it and refers supported claims for mediation. If mediation does not resolve the claim, TADM issues a referral certificate that lets you file at the Employment Claims Tribunals, part of the State Courts.

What is the maximum the Employment Claims Tribunals can award?

The standard cap is S$20,000 per claim. It rises to S$30,000 for claims mediated through the Tripartite Mediation Framework or with union assistance. If your claim exceeds the cap, you can abandon the excess to bring it within the tribunal's jurisdiction.

How long do I have to file a salary claim?

A salary-related claim must be filed within 6 months after you leave employment. This is a different and longer deadline than a wrongful-dismissal claim, which must be filed within 1 month of the last day of work.

Do I need a lawyer for the Employment Claims Tribunals?

The tribunal is designed to be used without legal representation, and the process is quicker and cheaper than an ordinary civil suit. You register through TADM, attend mediation, and if unresolved, file and present your own claim at the ECT.

Is there a claim for workplace discrimination in Singapore yet?

Not yet through the tribunals. The Workplace Fairness Act will add a discrimination-claim track with a S$250,000 ceiling, but commencement is reported for around the end of 2027 and it will initially cover employers with 25 or more staff. Until then the ECT caps remain S$20,000, or S$30,000 for union-assisted claims.