Mandatory under Singapore law · Singapore

Work Injury Compensation Insurance (WICA)

Mandatory under the Work Injury Compensation Act 2019 for all manual workers and non-manual workers earning S$2,600 or less per month. Covers medical expenses, lost wages and lump-sum compensation for work-related injury or disease.

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Who must have WICA insurance

Under the Work Injury Compensation Act 2019 (WICA), Singapore employers must insure every manual worker regardless of salary, and every non-manual worker earning S$2,600 or less per month. The Act defines a manual worker broadly — anyone whose duties involve physical labour, including cleaners, drivers, technicians, security officers, kitchen staff, warehouse workers and site personnel.

Penalties for failing to maintain WICA insurance are set by the Act: a fine of up to S$10,000 and / or imprisonment of up to 12 months. The Ministry of Manpower also publishes the names of employers prosecuted for WICA non-compliance.

What WICA insurance covers

WICA insurance is a no-fault scheme. The injured worker (or family) is entitled to:

  • Medical expenses up to S$45,000 or one year from the date of accident, whichever is reached first.
  • Medical leave wages at the rate set in the Sixth Schedule of the Act — full average monthly earnings for the first 14 days of outpatient medical leave or 60 days of hospitalisation, then two-thirds thereafter.
  • Lump-sum compensation for permanent incapacity or death, calculated under the formula in the Act — capped by statute and revised periodically.

The compensation amounts above are the minimum set by statute. Some insurers offer policies that exceed statutory limits, or that bundle WICA with employers' liability cover to pick up claims that fall outside the WICA scheme.

Who is exempt

WICA does not apply to:

  • Domestic workers, who are covered separately under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.
  • Uniformed personnel of the SAF, Police Force, Civil Defence Force and Prison Service.
  • Self-employed persons and independent contractors.
  • Non-manual employees earning more than S$2,600 per month (although you may choose to insure them voluntarily).

How premiums are calculated

WICA premiums are charged as a percentage of insured wage roll, rated against trade classification, claims history and headcount. Indicative bands:

  • Office and administrative work — a fraction of one percent of payroll.
  • Retail, F&B service and light delivery — low single-digit percent.
  • Construction, marine, manufacturing and high-risk trades — mid to high single-digit percent.

Quotes from different insurers can vary materially because each insurer applies its own trade-class rate table and own loss-experience loading. Comparing three to four quotes at renewal is normal.

When to compare insurers

WICA policies are annual. Consider comparing at:

  • Renewal — 30 to 60 days before the policy expiry.
  • Material change — new sector, M&A, materially different headcount or trade mix.
  • After a large claim — if your existing insurer applies a loaded renewal, the market may be more competitive than they assume.

Verified policy facts

Facts extracted verbatim from each insurer's policy document. We show the source URL, SHA-256 fingerprint of the PDF we read, and the document type (policy wording / proposal form / brochure). Where a fact is left blank in the source — for example, schedule-level limits in a master wording — we mark it “blank in source” rather than infer.

AIG Singapore logo

AIG Singapore

AIG Asia Pacific Insurance Pte. Ltd.

Proposal form✓ Verified
Product summary

Work Injury Compensation Insurance proposal form issued by AIG Asia Pacific Insurance Pte. Ltd. covering employers in Singapore for statutory obligations under the Work Injury Compensation Act 2019. The policy covers all manual employees regardless of wage, all non-manual employees earning up to the prescribed thresholds, with optional cover for non-mandatory employees (non-manual earning above threshold) and voluntary cover for employees based outside Singapore. A Common Law / Employers Liability limit of S$10,000,000 is offered. Premium is based on estimated annual earnings (payroll) declared by the insured.

Territorial scope
Singapore (with option for employees based outside of Singapore under Voluntary Work Injury Compensation Insurance — territory to be specified by proposer)
Statutory anchor
Work Injury Compensation Act 2019; Insurance Act (Cap 142) s25(5); Policy Owners' Protection Scheme (SDIC); Personal Data Protection Act 2012 (PDPA)
Premium basis
rate on payroll
Sub-limits
  • Common Law / Employers Liability:S$10,000,000
Extensions (2)
  • Non-Mandatory WIC Insurance — non-manual employees earning above S$2,100 (w.e.f. Apr 2020) or S$2,600 (w.e.f. Apr 2021) per month
  • Voluntary Work Injury Compensation Insurance (Not within legislation) — employees based outside of Singapore
Exclusions (2)
  • Employees not included in the Categories of Employees will not be covered under this policy.
  • If the Insured under-declared the employees, job category or the Estimated Annual Earnings: (1) the amount of the Company's indemnity to the Insured for a claim will be reduced proportionately by the extent of underinsurance; (2) the Company may recover from the Insured the amount paid to a claimant which is attributable to any Relevant Injury arising in relation to those non-disclosed or misstated material facts under clause 8(1)(a).
Defined terms (3)
Estimated Annual Earnings
an amount, not less than the Past Annual Earnings of the Insured, declared by the Insured to be an estimate of the total earnings to be paid by the Insured (as well as by other employers and known to the Insured) during the 12 months starting on the Commencement Date of the Policy.
Past Annual Earnings
the total of the monthly earnings paid by the Insured (as well as by other employers and known to the Insured) during the 12 months immediately before the Commencement Date of the Policy.
Earnings
The types of remuneration that constitute "Earnings" are set out in Section 2 of the Work Injury Compensation Act 2019.
Etiqa Insurance Singapore logo

Etiqa Insurance Singapore

Etiqa Insurance Pte. Ltd.

Policy wording✓ Verified
Product summary

A Work Injury Compensation Insurance Policy issued by Etiqa Insurance Pte. Ltd. that indemnifies the insured against all sums for which the insured shall be liable to pay compensation either under the Work Injury Compensation Act (Cap. 354) or at common law in respect of personal injury by accident or disease sustained by any employee described in the schedule, caused during the period of insurance and arising out of and in the course of his employment by the insured in the business, together with all costs and expenses incurred by the insured with the written consent of the company.

Territorial scope
Republic of Singapore
Cover trigger
losses-occurring
Statutory anchor
Work Injury Compensation Act (Cap. 354) (WICA 2019); Insurance Act s25(5); Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act (Cap 53B); Arbitration Act (Chapter 10)
Premium basis
rate on payroll — based on total amount of wages, salaries and other monetary earnings paid to every employee during the period of insurance; subject to adjustment after expiry; minimum premium S$50.00
Deductible
S$250 excess per employee under Social/Recreational Activities Clause

Limits

  • Per occurrence:S$10,000,000
Sub-limits
  • Social/Recreational Activities Clause maximum per employee:S$5,000
  • Common Law limit per claim or series of claims arising out of one event:S$10,000,000
Extensions (4)
  • Social/Recreational Activities Clause — extended to cover any accident in connection with the insured's employee during any social recreational or welfare activities organised by the insured within the Republic of Singapore subject to an excess of S$250 and not exceeding S$5,000 per employee; also extended to occurrences caused by arising out of and in connection with drinks, beverages or food served by the insured during such activities
  • Cross Liability Clause — each of the parties comprising the insured shall be considered as a separate and distinct unit with waiver of all rights of subrogation or action against any of the aforesaid parties
  • Loss Notification Clause — policy will not be prejudiced by any inadvertent delays, errors or omissions in notifying the company of any circumstances or events giving rise or likely to give rise to a claim
  • Endorsement W77 — indemnifies the insured's liability at common law for accidents to non-manual employees whose monthly earnings are more than S$1,600.00
Exclusions (17)
  • (a) any liability of the insured which attaches by virtue of an agreement but which would not have attached in the absence of such agreement.
  • (b) the insured's liability to employees of independent contractors engaged by the insured.
  • (c) any employee of the insured who is not an 'employee' within the meaning of the legislation.
  • (d) any sum which the insured would have been entitled to recover from any party but for an agreement between the insured and such party.
  • (e) any injury by accident or disease attributable to war invasion act of foreign enemy hostilities or warlike operations (whether war be declared or not) civil war mutiny rebellion revolution insurrection or military or usurped power.
  • (f)(i) nuclear weapons material.
  • (f)(ii) ionising radiations or contamination by radioactivity from any nuclear fuel or from any nuclear waste from the combustion of nuclear fuel and for the purposes of this exception combustion shall include any self-sustaining process of nuclear fission.
  • (g) any injury to any employee of the insured resulting from an accident if it is proved that the injury to the employee is directly attributable to the employee having been at the time thereof under the influence of alcohol or a drug not prescribed by a medical practitioner unless the insured is liable under the legislation.
  • (h) any incapacity or death resulting from a deliberate self-injury or the deliberate aggravation of an accidental injury.
  • Asbestos Exclusion — all claims and losses based upon, arising out of, directly or indirectly resulting from or in consequence of, or any way involving: 1) Asbestos, or 2) Any actual or alleged asbestos related injury or damage involving the use, presence, existence, detection, removal elimination or avoidance of asbestos or exposure or potential exposure to asbestos.
  • Non-Contribution — this policy shall not indemnify the insured or contribute to any payment/compensation under WICA or common law where the injuries giving rise to such claims occurred at a project site.
  • Terrorism Exclusion Endorsement — loss, damage, cost or expenses of whatsoever nature directly or indirectly caused by, resulting from or in connection with any act of terrorism regardless of any other cause or event contributing concurrently or in any other sequence to the loss; also excludes loss, damage, cost or expense directly or indirectly caused by, resulting from or in connection with any action taken in controlling, preventing, suppressing or in any way relating to any act of terrorism.
  • Y2K - Electronic Date Exclusion — any liability of whatsoever nature directly or indirectly caused by or contributed to by or arising from the failure or inability of any computer or other equipment or system for processing storing or retrieving data to: (i) correctly recognize any date as its true calendar date; (ii) capture save or retain, and/or correctly to manipulate, interpret or process any data or information or command or instruction as a result of treating any date otherwise than as its true calendar date; (iii) capture save retain or correctly to process any data as a result of the operation of any command which has been programmed into any computer software, being a command which causes the loss of data or the inability to capture save retain or correctly to process such data on or after any date.
  • Endorsement W2 — does not indemnify the insured in respect of any claim arising in connection with the use of woodworking machinery driven by steam, gas, water, electricity or other mechanical power (excluding lathes, fret-saws, boring machines, sanding machines, mechanically-driven portable tools applied to the work by hand other than pendulum and swing saws).
  • Endorsement W4 — does not indemnify the insured in respect of any claim arising in connection with erecting or fitting or repair away from the shop or yard of the insured.
  • Endorsement W64 — does not indemnify the insured in respect of any claim arising in connection with work on board ships.
  • Endorsement W192 — does not indemnify the insured in respect of any claim arising in connection with felling, sawing or carting of trees other than light trees not exceeding 20ft (6.10m) in height to be used for scaffolding or carrying poles.
Defined terms (3)
legislation
All references to 'legislation' in this policy shall mean the Work Injury Compensation Act (Cap. 354), amendments and re-enactments thereof and any regulations made thereunder.
act of terrorism
An act, including but not limited to the use of force or violence and/or the threat thereof, of any person or group(s) of persons, whether acting alone or on behalf of or in connection with any organisation(s) or government(s), committed for political, religious, ideological or similar purposes including the intention to influence any government and/or to put the public, or any section of the public, in fear.
wages, salaries and other monetary earnings
Must consist of the normal wages, food and housing allowances, overtime payments, bonuses and annual wages supplements but excluding travelling allowances and employers' CPF contributions.
Liberty Insurance Singapore logo

Liberty Insurance Singapore

Liberty Insurance Pte Ltd

Policy wording✓ Verified
Product summary

This Policy is issued as an approved employee insurance policy under the Work Injury Compensation Act 2019. It covers employer's liabilities for compensation under WICA 2019 in respect of any employee who sustains a Relevant Injury (death or personal injury caused by an accident arising out of or in the course of employment, or disease contracted in the circumstances mentioned in section 10(1) of the Act) during the Period of Insurance. The Company will indemnify the Insured against all sums the Insured shall be liable to pay under the Legislation and will in addition pay all costs and expenses incurred by the Insured in relation to the Insured's liability under the Legislation with the written consent of the Company. The policy is fully compliant with MOM's compulsory terms and is issued by an MOM-designated insurer.

Territorial scope
This Policy is governed by the laws of the Republic of Singapore. The indemnity under this Policy does not apply in respect of judgements delivered by or obtained from a court or tribunal of a jurisdiction outside Singapore.
Cover trigger
losses-occurring
Statutory anchor
Work Injury Compensation Act 2019
Premium basis
rate on payroll — premium is based on the total amount of earnings paid by the Insured to every employee in the Insured's employment during the Period of Insurance, subject to adjustment after expiry based on actual earnings declared
Sub-limits
  • Death (Maximum) from 1 Jan 2020:S$225,000
  • Death (Minimum) from 1 Jan 2020:S$76,000
  • Common Law claims per occurrence:S$10,000,000
  • Medical Expenses from 1 Jan 2020:S$45,000 or within 1 year from date of accident, whichever is reached first
  • Total Permanent Incapacity Maximum from 1 Jan 2020:S$289,000
  • Total Permanent Incapacity Minimum from 1 Jan 2020:S$97,000
Exclusions (8)
  • any sum which the Insured would have been entitled to recover from any party but for an agreement between the Insured and such party
  • any death, liability, loss, damage, destruction, any legal liabilities, cost or expense including consequential loss of whatsoever nature, directly or indirectly caused by, resulting from or in connection with war, invasion, acts of foreign enemies, hostilities or warlike operations (whether war be declared or not), civil war, rebellion, revolution, insurrection, civil commotion assuming the proportions of or amounting to an uprising military or usurped power
  • any act of terrorism including but not limited to: (A) the use of force or violence (or threat of force or violence); and/or (B) harm or damage to life or to property (or threat of such harm or damage) including, but not limited to, nuclear radiation and/or contamination by chemical and/or biological agents by any person(s) or group(s) of persons, committed for political, religious, ideological or similar purposes, express or otherwise, and/or to put the public or any section of the public in fear
  • any action taken in controlling, preventing, suppressing or in any way relating to war/hostilities or terrorism exclusions
  • any liability of whatsoever nature directly or indirectly caused by or contributed to by or arising from nuclear weapons material
  • ionising radiations or contamination by radioactivity from any nuclear fuel or from any nuclear waste from the combustion of nuclear fuel (combustion includes any self-sustaining process of nuclear fission) — except radioactive isotopes other than nuclear fuel when being prepared, carried, stored, or used for commercial, agricultural, medical, scientific or other similar peaceful purposes
  • any liability directly or indirectly caused by, arising out of or in any way connected with any claim against the Insured to the extent that the provision of any cover, or the payment of any claim or benefit hereunder would expose the Company, or its parent to any sanction, prohibition or restriction implemented pursuant to resolutions of the United Nations or the trade and economic sanctions, laws or regulations of Singapore, the European Union, United Kingdom, or United States of America
  • any claims based upon or arising out of asbestosis and mesothelioma
Defined terms (9)
Act
the Work Injury Compensation Act 2019, as may be amended from time to time
the Legislation
the Work Injury Compensation Act 2019 and any regulations made thereunder, as may be amended from time to time
the Insured
each insured specified in the Schedule, including the Policyholder, that is participating in the insurance plan under this Policy
the Policyholder
the party executing the contract for itself and on behalf of all other Insured specified in the Schedule
Insured's risk profile
the risk of accident or disease to any employee in the Insured's employment, taking account of the Insured's workforce, payroll numbers and other material information required to be stated in the Schedule
Relevant Injury
death or personal injury: (a) sustained by an employee that is caused by an accident that (i) arises out of or in the course of the employee's employment with the Insured and (ii) occurs during the Period of Insurance; or (b) that results from a disease contracted in the circumstances mentioned in section 10(1) of the Act in respect of the employee's employment with the Insured during the Period of Insurance
earnings
have the meaning given by the Act
Estimated Annual Earnings
an amount, not less than the Past Annual Earnings of the Insured, declared by the Insured to be an estimate of the total earnings to be paid by the Insured (as well as by other employers and known to the Insured) during the 12 months starting on the Commencement Date of the Policy
Past Annual Earnings
the total of the monthly earnings paid by the Insured (as well as by other employers and known to the Insured) during the 12 months immediately before the Commencement Date of the Policy
QBE Singapore logo

QBE Singapore

QBE Insurance (Singapore) Pte Ltd

Policy wordingInferred
Territorial scope
Malaysia (governed by Malaysian ordinances; no Singapore territorial scope stated)
Cover trigger
losses-occurring
Statutory anchor
Workmen's Compensation Ordinance 1952; Workmen's Compensation (Amendment) Ordinance 1956; Workmen's Compensation (Amendment) Ordinance 1976; Modification of Laws (Workmen's Compensation) Extension and Modification Ordinance 1981
Premium basis
rate on payroll — premiums regulated by the amount of wages and salaries and other earnings paid by the Insured to employees during each Period of Insurance
Exclusions (11)
  • any injury by accident or disease directly or indirectly, proximately or remotely occasioned by, contributed to by, traceable to, or arising out of, or in connection with war, invasion, act of foreign enemy, hostilities or warlike operations (whether war be declared or not) civil war, mutiny, insurrection, rebellion, revolution, conspiracy; military or usurped power.
  • the Insured's liability to employees of Insured's contractor.
  • any employee who is not a "workman" within the meaning of the Law(s).
  • any liability of the Insured which attaches by virtue of an agreement but which would not have attached in the absence of such agreement.
  • any sum which the Insured would have been entitled to recover from any party but for an agreement between the Insured and such party.
  • any accident or any loss or destruction of or damage to any property whatsoever or any loss or expense whatsoever resulting or arising therefrom or any consequential loss, any legal liability of whatsoever nature directly or indirectly caused by or contributed to by or arising from ionising radiations or contamination by radioactivity from any nuclear fuel or from any nuclear waste from the combustion of nuclear fuel.
  • loss, damage, cost or expense of whatsoever nature directly or indirectly caused by, resulting from or in connection with any act of terrorism regardless of any other cause or event contributing concurrently or in any other sequence to the loss.
  • loss, damage, cost or expense of whatsoever nature directly or indirectly caused by, resulting from or in connection with any action taken in controlling, preventing, suppressing or in any way relating to any act of terrorism.
  • Claims for loss or damage as a result of: (i) total or partial destruction, distortion, erasure, corruption, alteration, misinterpretation or misappropriation of ELECTRONIC DATA; (ii) error in creating, amending, entering, deleting or using ELECTRONIC DATA; or (iii) total or partial inability or failure to receive, send, access or use ELECTRONIC DATA - for any time or at all, from any cause whatsoever, regardless of any other contributing cause or event whenever it may occur.
  • The indemnity or compensation provided by this Policy shall not apply to nor include any accident, loss destruction, damage or legal liability directly or indirectly caused by or contributed to by or arising from nuclear weapons material.
  • The (re)insurer shall not provide cover nor be liable to pay any claim or provide any benefit hereunder to the extent that the provision of such cover, payment of such claim or provision of such benefit would expose the insurer or any member of the insurer's group to any sanction, prohibition or restriction under United Nations resolutions, Australian autonomous sanctions, or the trade or economic sanctions, laws or regulations of any country.
Defined terms (2)
ELECTRONIC DATA
facts, concepts and information converted to a form useable for communications, display, distribution, interpretation or processing by electronic and electromechanical data processing or electronically controlled equipment and includes programmes, software and other coded instructions for such equipment.
act of terrorism
an act, including but not limited to the use of force or violence and/or the threat thereof, of any person or group(s) of persons, whether acting alone or on behalf of or in connection with any organisation(s) or government(s), committed for political, religious, ideological or similar purposes including the intention to influence any government and/or to put the public, or any section of the public, in fear.