Job injury claims for office staff set to rise

Singapore: In 2006, in approximately 750 claims with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) - about 5% of all claims - were filed by white-collar workers who earned SGD1,600 (USD1,160) or less a month. This number might rise considerably with the enforcement of a new April 2008 law covering all non-manual workers regardless of income. The new law will replace the Workmen's Compensation Act which protects all manual and non manual workers earning no more than SGD1,600 (USD1,160) a month. Under the new law employers are not obligated to buy insurance, but >they have to compensate staff injured in workplace accidents, even if they have no insurance. Companies are verifying, if they should buy insurance and at what price insurance is available. Due to this insurers expect that premiums will go up.

In addition to the inclusion of white-collar workers earning more than SGD1,600 (USD1,160) a month, employees will also be able to make claims for noiseinduced deafness, repetitive strain injuries and poisoning by chemicals such as arsenic.

Source: Straits Times, 28 February 2008
Asian Casualty Report 10th Edition June 2008 – Gen Re