Part-timers, interns and new hires raise the same question: can they join the company plan? The answer comes from two sets of rules.
The insurer decides who it will accept. Within that, you decide who is offered cover and from when. Mix the two up and people get left off the list, or get promised cover the insurer will not give.
The insurer's rules
Insurers set limits on four things: hours, location, age and work passes. We check all four on every quote we prepare.
Most plans are written for full-time, permanent staff who are actively at work. "Actively at work" usually means the person is at work as normal on the day cover starts. Someone on medical leave that day may only be covered once they are back, so tell us about anyone in that position before the start date.
Directors, partners and proprietors are commonly eligible too, which helps if founders want cover.
Other common limits:
- A minimum group size, often at least two employees.
- An entry age band, such as 16 to 70, with cover renewable to around 75. Age limits differ between insurers and change over time, so we confirm them on a current quote.
- Cover only for staff based in Singapore.
Work pass holders may go on a different plan. Some insurers keep specific hospital plans for Work Permit and S Pass holders, built to meet the medical insurance the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) requires for those passes. Our products overview covers the usual position on part-timers and pass holders.
Then set your own rules
Within the insurer's terms, the choices are yours. Decide when new hires join: from their first day, after probation or after a set number of months. Whatever you choose, a new hire is covered from the effective date the insurer confirms, so tell us about each joiner as soon as the start date is fixed.
If different groups get different cover, define the groups by objective criteria such as job grade, and apply them consistently.
Starting insurance later does not delay your legal duties. MOM says sick leave is not tied to probation. Staff covered by the Employment Act get paid sick leave after 3 months' service, and service counts from the first day, not from confirmation.
Part-timers, interns and freelancers
MOM treats an employee contracted for less than 35 hours a week as a part-time employee. Part-timers are covered by the Employment Act, apart from domestic workers and seamen. Their statutory leave applies even if your insurer will not accept them.
Interns count as employees only if there is a contract of service (an employment contract) creating an employer-employee relationship, MOM says. Freelancers on a contract for service, hired for a fee to do a job, are not employees, and statutory benefits do not apply to them. MOM notes there is no single test to tell the two apart, so an employment lawyer should settle unclear cases.
Whether an insurer will take an intern or a long-term contractor is a separate question. Acceptance varies, and we confirm it with the insurer before you promise anyone cover.
Write the rules down
A one-page eligibility note prevents arguments at enrolment. Include:
- Who is eligible, by category, hours and location.
- When cover starts for new hires, and when it ends.
- Whether family members can join, and who pays for them.
- Who keeps the member list up to date.
Use the note to build your census (the employee list insurers price from), and follow our census checklist for the data side.
When the note is ready, send it with your quote request. We make sure every insurer prices the same group, and flag anyone an insurer will not accept.
Sources checked 23 October 2026.
