What is the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA)?

The Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA) lets employees make claims for work-related injuries or diseases without having to file a civil suit. It allows compensation claims to be settled at a much lower cost and a much quicker pace. If you are an employee that is injured in a work accident or suffered a disease due to work, you do not have to engage a lawyer to file a WICA claim.

Who does WICA cover?

The WICA covers all local or foreign employee who is under a contract of service or contract of apprenticeship. It covers all employees of all salary ranges, ages or nationalities.

However, the following people are not covered by WICA.

• Independent contractors and self-employed persons
• Domestic workers
• Uniformed personnel (members of the Singapore Armed Forces, Singapore Police Force, Singapore Civil Defence Force, Central Narcotics Bureau and Singapore Prison Service.)

What can you claim under WICA?

Medical leave wages, medical expenses and lump-sum compensation for permanent incapacity or death. Do note that there are limits to each type of compensation.

What is the period of claim?

Claims can be made up to 1 year from the accident. We will cover the claims process for both employee and employer at a later resource blog post.

Click here to refer to the Work Injury Compensation Act 2019.

 

If you have any company-related queries, you may email us at [email protected]. When in doubt, seek legal advice or consult an experienced licensed Employment Agency with the Ministry of Manpower.

Yours Sincerely,
The editorial team at Singapore Employment Agency

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Little Big Employment Agency Pte Ltd is a licensed Employment Agency with the Ministry of Manpower with license number 19C9790.