Why the exclusion list matters
This annex identifies work for which overtime exemption will not be granted because fatigue can create significant safety risks. The relevant test is the actual work activity, not just the job title or the employer’s industry.
| Group | Activities |
|---|---|
| Safety-critical concentration | Cranes, hoists/winches, dredging and excavating equipment, tanker loading, forklifts/tractors, construction equipment and scaffolding |
| Continuous manual machinery operation | Manual-mode cutting, milling, drilling, pressing, grinding, drawing/rolling, woodworking, blasting, welding, soldering or brazing |
| Extreme or changing temperatures | Foundries, brick/ceramics/glass production, boiler rooms, laundries, smelters, steam tunnels, cold storage and meat storage/packaging |
| Compressed-air work | Work in a compressed-air environment |
| Protected workers | Work undertaken by young persons or pregnant women |
| Prolonged strenuous manual work | Forceful repetitive hands, heavy lifting/pushing/pulling, awkward postures, overhead wiring, small-parts assembly and vibrating tools |
| Work at height | Work where a person may fall more than 3 metres, including formwork and roofing |
Apply the list before applying for an exemption
Separate any excluded activity from the proposed overtime arrangement and assess the actual tasks performed. An application does not authorise exceeding ordinary limits while approval is pending. Existing safety duties and any other statutory restrictions continue to apply.
Eligibility, lead time and decision
Employers or company representatives apply at least three months before overtime starts and before a current exemption expires. Completion is estimated at 20–30 minutes; processing is 30 working days after complete supporting documents. Approval is decided by the Commissioner for Labour, and the linked prohibited-work list remains relevant.
Permissions and preparation
Assign MOM EMPLOYMENT E-SERVICES through Corppass eService Access, and verify it under Assigned eServices. Before application explain overtime entitlements to affected employees, obtain approved WSH-auditor risk-register endorsement for relevant workplaces, and obtain union consent where applicable. Use the updated union acknowledgement and risk-register formats; the service states old formats are no longer accepted.
All sectors: common documents
Provide company and exemption details, collective agreement if relevant, the latest signed contract/appointment letter containing KETs, employee handbook if relevant, three months’ pay slips/time records for five employees combined into one PDF, three months’ CPF records for all eligible employees, and an overtime-hours summary for ten employees in each affected occupation. Include affected employees’ acknowledgement and union acknowledgement for unionised companies.
Non-security and security differences
Non-security applicants add the approved WSH-auditor risk-register endorsement, documents showing steps to reduce overtime/exemption dependence, and applicable work schedule. Security applicants add the salary-structure form. The official user guide provides submission steps. Maintenance shown on the source is Thursday 8:30pm–Friday 1am and Sunday 8am–8pm.