Working In Singapore: A Guide To The Fair Consideration Framework 2026
Do you have any foreign talent plans or Lion City plans in 2026? The game of Singapore labor market will not be won by mere competitive income, rather it is a game to play with the mentality of “Local-First Strategy.
The foundation of the Singapore labor policy is the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF), which provides the local workers with a fair opportunity to secure employment opportunities before an employer employs foreign professionals. By the year 2026, the FCF will not be the guideline anymore, but the data-driven engine combined with the COMPASS (Complementarity Assessment Framework) system and the newly passed Workplace Fairness Legislation.
Keywords of Core FCF Compliance (2026)
In order to remain compliant in 2026, the employers and the HR professionals will be required to master the following key terms and the laws they signify:
- MyCareersFuture (MCF) Portal: The compulsory government job portal in which vacancies should be advertised at least 14 days in a row prior to an application being made to either an Employment Pass (EP) or S Pass.
- Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices (TGFEP): These are the principles that prohibit discrimination against age, gender, race, religion, or nationality.
- Workplace Fairness Legislation (WFL): This is a law passed formally during the first part of 2026, which turns guidelines of goodwill into enforceable regulations with high financial penalties.
- FCF Watchlist: A list maintained by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) of those companies whose proportion of local PMETs (Professionals, Managers, Executives, and Technicians) is significantly lower than that of other companies in the industry.
The FCF-COMPASS Synergy
FCF is not a stand-alone check anymore in 2026, but it operates in cooperation with COMPASS, the Employment passes points system.
- Criterion 4 (Local Employment): COMPASS provides firms with points in accordance to their employment of local PMETs. Your score here is directly proportional to high compliance with FCF.
- Recommended Salary Benchmarks Sectoral: 2026 introduces new benchmarks. As an example, mid-career applicants in their 40s now have to get S10,000-S12,000 according to the industry to compete.
- Shortage Occupation List (SOL): Although these positions receive bonuses points, MOM also needs to demonstrate the FCF advertising, to guarantee that no able-bodied local was left behind.
2026 Enforcement & Data Analytics
MOM has also critically enhanced its application of AI and data analytics to identify ghosts of the ads that are placed without any intention of recruiting locally.
- Debarment Non-compliant employers may be prohibited to renew all work passes (EP, S Pass, Work Permit) within 12 to 24 months.
- Workplace Bias Audits: In 2026, MOM will have unannounced audits of recruiting records. The employers have to keep the interview notes and scoring matrices in order to demonstrate that they chose them on the basis of merit.
- Legal Redress: The 2026 Workplace Fairness Legislation now provides the employees with the ability to seek mediation and economic compensations at the Employment Claims Tribunal (ECT) due to those discriminatory practices.
FAQs
Is it possible to conceal the salary range in my MCF advert?
No. Job advertisements will be required to have an obvious pay scale in 2026. The upper limit should not be more than twice the lower (e.g. S6,000–S12,000 is permissible; S6,000 15,000 is not).
Is FCF applicable to S Pass applications?
Yes. Since the end of 2023, S Pass applications have been subject to the 14-day advertising requirement like Employment Passes.
But suppose I have a local applicant at the end of the 14 days?
It is under the law that you should employ a qualified candidate who is a local. The tracking of MOM will tell whether you turned down qualified locals to give a favor to a foreign applicant.
Is work pass renewal not to be covered under FCF advertising?
Generally, yes. But in the case of the shift of role of an employee, then it can be regarded as a new application and necessarily comply with FCF again.
What are the present unemployment levels in Singapore?
By the end of 2025/ early 2026, the labor market in Singapore is tight. The total unemployment level stands at around 2.0, the resident level stands at 2.8 and citizen stands at 3.1.
Final Thought
It will be a complex, “Local-First” ecosystem to work in Singapore in 2026. The Fair consideration Framework guarantees that international talent supplements the local talent and does not substitute it. To employers, it is all about transparency: keep the books very strict, pay competitive rates in the market and ensure that each job description is fully skills-based.
Disclaimer
The article is informative and educative. It is recommended that the readers should confirm information on the official website of the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) or with licensed employment agency to make a decision on hiring or visa.