Guide
WICA insurance: work injury compensation in Singapore
· Last reviewed 23 October 2026
Work injury compensation insurance (WICA insurance, often called workers’ compensation insurance) covers what an employer owes staff for injuries and illness caused by work under Singapore’s Work Injury Compensation Act. MOM requires it for every employee doing manual work, whatever the salary, and for every other employee earning S$2,600 or less a month, local or foreign. The policy must come from a designated insurer. It is separate from group medical benefits and from foreign worker medical insurance, which pays hospital bills from any cause.
Who must be insured under WICA?
MOM requires insurance for employees doing manual work regardless of salary, and non-manual employees earning S$2,600 or less a month using MOM’s specified salary basis. The requirement applies to local and foreign employees. Required policies must be issued by a designated insurer and comply with the compulsory terms.
How does WIC insurance differ from employee benefits?
| Cover | Question it addresses |
|---|---|
| WIC insurance | What work-injury compensation exposure must the employer insure? |
| Group medical benefits | What medical benefits has the employer arranged for eligible staff? |
| Foreign worker medical insurance | What medical-insurance requirements apply to the worker’s pass? |
| Public liability | What third-party injury or property-damage liability is insured? |
What should the employer prepare for a WICA quote?
- Business activities and the actual work employees perform.
- Employee categories, salary information on the requested basis and headcount.
- Work locations and any changes to operations.
- Current schedule, expiry and relevant claims information requested by the insurer.
- Any principal, project or contractual requirements needing separate confirmation.
Why should job descriptions be specific?
A title such as supervisor may describe desk work, site work or both. State the actual duties and ask the insurer to confirm the accepted classification. Do not minimise an activity to obtain a lower quote; the comparison needs an accurate description of the exposure.
Illustrative example: an office-based administrator occasionally visits a warehouse, while a colleague routinely loads goods. Record those different duties and obtain clarification rather than treating both as office employees. This example is a declaration prompt, not a legal classification decision.
What should HR do when an incident raises a WIC question?
Use the employer’s incident-response and reporting procedures and the insurer’s instructions. Preserve the relevant records and ask the responsible provider which policy and reporting route apply. Do not route the matter solely through a voluntary medical benefit because an employee has a medical card.
Reporting duties and an insurance claim are separate tasks. Check MOM’s current guidance for the actual event, including who must report and when. This page does not prescribe one deadline for every incident.
What should be checked at renewal?
Reconcile duties, payroll basis, headcount and business activities with the expiring policy. Ask for written confirmation of changes and policy commencement requirements. Bene can help coordinate a WIC insurance enquiry alongside other employee and business covers.
Questions
Does a group medical card replace WIC insurance?
No substitution should be assumed. Review the separate WIC requirements and the actual employee-benefits policy.
Are only foreign employees relevant to WIC insurance?
No. MOM’s compulsory-insurance requirements apply to local and foreign employees in the specified categories.
Sources for this page
- Work injury compensation insurance
Relevant section: Who needs to be insured; compulsory insurance
Page updated 11 July 2024. Primary source checked for the specific statements cited. Bene planning examples are editorial guidance, not rules issued by this publisher.