Advertising and promoting your business: What’s legal?

Advertisements in Singapore are generally self-regulated by industry. This role is performed by the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore (ASAS), and the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice (SCAP). The SCAP is not legally binding. However, this does not suggest that all forms of advertising practice are condoned. Consumers of advertisements and advertisers themselves act as …

How do I set up a register of controllers for my business?

If you run a Company, Foreign Company, or a Limited Liability Partnership (“LLP”), you are required to set up a Register of Controllers. This is in accordance with the new requirement that was introduced on 31 March 2017 by the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (“ACRA”). ACRA subsequently issued and revised the ACRA Guidance on …

Changes to the Employment Act (2018 and beyond): What you need to know

The Employment Act (EA) is Singapore’s main labour law which provides the basic terms and working conditions for all employee. On 5th March this year, the Ministry of Manpower announced plans to expand the fundamental coverage of the EA. This was a response to a fast-changing workforce where the number of PMETs (professionals, managers, executives and technicians) …

What are the legal obligations when writing employee references?

Introduction – A lesson to be shared The departure of an employee is a common occurrence and there are many reasons why one would choose to leave his work. Whatever the reason may be, it is not uncommon for an employer to receive requests from prospective employers for references of the departing/departed employee. An employee …

Workplace bullying: Know your rights and remedies

Workplace bullying is more common than you think It is often said that the office is a second home. This is especially so in Singapore, where long hours of work is a norm. A 2016 survey conducted by Roffey Park (a leadership institute based in Singapore and the UK) revealed that Singaporean employees spend even more time at work …

The importance of Will drafting and the Intestate Succession Act

The importance of Will drafting and the Intestate Succession Act Property in Singapore is extremely valuable, and much confusion can arise out of figuring out whose property belongs to whom after someone is recently deceased. Often, a person makes a Will to specify how the property and assets should be managed or distributed after his …

Which Business Structure Should You Choose? Company, Partnership or Sole Proprietorship?

In 2016, 64,937 new businesses were set up in Singapore. Of these, many were probably small-medium enterprises (SMEs) – businesses that have annual sales of not more than S$100 million, or employ less than 200 workers. Indeed, the Singapore Government recently recognised that SMEs, making up 99% of businesses, are at the heart of the …

Tips on drafting a great Shareholder’s Agreement

Shareholder’s Agreement is an important starting point for many startups and SMEs Many people decide to go into business at some point in their lives. The number of startups continue to burgeon the world over. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) make up 99% of all Singapore’s enterprises and account for about half of Singapore’s GDP. …

Did you know? Organ donation is compulsory for Singaporeans and PRs!

If you suffer from kidney failure, and you need a new kidney, you may need to wait nearly a decade before you can get a donor. Based on statistics released by the Ministry of Health in 2016, while the number of people on the waiting list for a kidney transplant has decreased to 276 in …

10 Frequently Asked Questions on the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA)

Question 1: Can I take a photograph of a specific person for my firm’s marketing purposes without getting his consent? No, because among other obligations, the data protection provisions in the PDPA would require the photographer to first obtain consent from the individual before taking the photograph. “Personal data” is defined to mean data, whether …