Basic Info
This screen is where you will enter most of the employee’s details such as their name, address, identification numbers and relevant dates. It is the first step in adding a new employee but can also be accessed at any time by going to the employee’s profile and clicking on Edit Info > Basic Info.
The fields in the Essentials section are compulsory for the setup process and are explained briefly below:
The Pay Frequency is how often they are paid e.g. weekly / monthly etc. You would have set up at least one pay frequency as part of adding the company and all available pay frequencies will appear in the drop-down menu. If the frequency you need isn’t there – for example, if you’ve always had weekly-paid employees and are now adding someone who is paid monthly – you will need to add this new pay frequency first. This process is explained in the following related article:
The Legal Name format field allows you to specify how you wish for the employee’s name to be displayed on payslips, IR8A tax certificates and in GIRO export files. You can choose between “First name Last name”, “Last name First name” or “Single name”.
The employee’s First Names (including all middle names) and Last Name should be entered in full and as they appear on their identification documents.
Please ensure that the Date of Birth is accurate because it could have an impact on important calculations such as CPF contributions.
Please also ensure that the Date of Appointment is the date the employee was first employed, or leave cycles/entitlements will be incorrect.
Legal Status may not be left blank as the relevant details (such as NRIC / FIN) must be completed to continue – this information is used to determine CPF, so we recommend completing it from the beginning.
Based on the legal status of an employee, you as the employer will need to capture either an NRIC or a FIN number.
- The National Registration Identity Card (NRIC) is the Identity document used in Singapore for Singaporeans and permanent residents of Singapore.
- A Foreign Identification Number (FIN) is for Foreign Individuals who work/reside in Singapore and hold a Work Pass Card such as an Employment Pass or an Immigration Pass issued by the Ministry of Manpower (“MOM”).
The G Series was issued until 31 December 2021 and the new M FIN Series was introduced on 1 January 2022.
When selecting NRIC the format of the identification number will be S or T.
When selecting FIN, the format of the identification will be G, F or M.
Please note: Ensure that, when adding a new employee or updating the identification number of an active employee, there is no other active employee with the same identification number.
- Singapore citizens and permanent residents born before the year 2000 are assigned the letter “S”.
- Singapore citizens and permanent residents born in and after 2000 are assigned the letter “T”.
- Foreigners holding employment or student passes issued before 2000 are assigned the letter “F”.
- Foreigners holding employment or student passes issued in and after 2000 are assigned the letter “G”.
Race and Religion may also be left blank initially; however, this information is used to calculate Self-Help Group (SHG) fund contributions (CDAC, ECF, MBMF and SINDA), where applicable, so we recommend filling it in right away.
Please note: In the case of foreign workers of Indian Race, it is important that you should select the correct Legal Status.
- Select “Foreigner (except Work Permit)” for workers who do not have a Work Permit and are not part of the FWL scheme. In this case, a SINDA deduction will be calculated automatically and appear on the employees’ payslip.
- Select “Foreigner (Work Permit)” for employees who have a Work Permit and are part of the FWL scheme. In this case, they will not have to contribute to SINDA, and no such deduction will appear on their payslip.
A list of SDL Exempt employees and a list of CPF Exempt employees can be searched for on the CPF website here.
If “GIRO” is selected as the Payment Method, the employee’s Bank Account Details must also be completed. If you are going to be paying the employee by GIRO but do not have their bank details yet, you can select “Cash”. You will, however, need to ensure that their bank details have been entered before creating your first pay run in order to use our GIRO export file to pay this employee.
Certain information, such as a Pay Point or Job Grade, requires additional setup before it can be entered. Please see the following articles on these aspects:
If you are adding a new employee and have captured all of the necessary information in this section, you can move on to the final step – capturing their Regular Hours.