EOR & Compliance Digest, June 15: Singapore Employment Pass Renewals Tighten as UK, India, and Thailand Shift the Rules
If you sponsor talent in Asia or Europe, this is the fortnight to check your calendar. Singapore Employment Pass renewals move onto stricter COMPASS criteria from July 1. That single date can stall a hire you thought was safe. Meanwhile, the UK’s day-one rights are already live. India has notified its long-awaited wage rules, and Thailand has set a salary floor for foreign staff. Four countries, four different clocks. Here is what changed, who it hits, and what to do before the deadlines land.
Singapore Employment Pass Renewals Face Tougher COMPASS Rules From July 1
Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower updated the COMPASS scoring framework for the Employment Pass, and the second phase arrives July 1, 2026. New EP applications have run on the revised rules since January 1. From July 1, however, renewals must clear them too. (Source: KPMG Global Mobility Services)
What changed for Singapore Employment Pass renewals
Three pieces moved at once. First, the C1 salary benchmarks now vary by sector and age band. As a result, an applicant is scored against local PMET pay in the same field. Second, the C2 qualifications list was refreshed. Third, the Shortage Occupation List added new healthcare roles. The qualifying salary floor sits at S$5,600 a month for most sectors. In financial services it is S$6,200, on an age-progressive scale. (Source: Singapore MOM)
Why it matters for distributed teams
Here is the trap. A candidate who scored 40 points two years ago may not clear the bar today. The benchmark rose, and the person aged into a higher salary band. As a result, a renewal you treated as routine can fail. And an EOR cannot rescue you here. In Singapore, only a company with a local entity can sponsor an Employment Pass. So EOR-style sponsorship is not an option for this pass. That makes early review essential rather than optional.
What to do before July 1
First, pull every EP that expires in the second half of 2026. Then check each holder’s salary against the current floor for their age and sector. If someone sits close to the line, plan a raise or build the COMPASS points another way before you file. For new hires headed to Singapore, confirm whether you even need a local entity. The right Singapore hiring route depends on it. One more thing to budget for. The floor climbs again from January 1, 2027, to S$6,000, and S$6,600 in financial services.
UK Day-One Rights Are Live, and the Unfair Dismissal Clock Is Next
The UK’s Employment Rights Act 2025 began its phased rollout. Since April 6, 2026, statutory sick pay is payable from day one of sickness. In addition, paternity and unpaid parental leave became day-one rights. Before, those rights were earned only after months of service. (Source: Acas) The larger change is still ahead. The Act removes the long qualifying period for unfair dismissal, and that reform is scheduled for 2027. (Source: Pinsent Masons)
If you employ anyone in Britain, update your sick-pay and leave policies now. The day-one rules already apply. Meanwhile, review your probation and performance processes too. When unfair dismissal protection arrives, weak documentation becomes expensive. For the detail, our guide to UK employment laws tracks where each obligation now sits.
India Notifies the Code on Wages Central Rules
India’s four labour codes have been in force since January 2026, replacing 29 central laws. On May 8, 2026, the Ministry of Labour and Employment notified the Code on Wages (Central) Rules, 2026. The rules give the wage code its working machinery. (Source: PwC India) Specifically, the rules set how minimum and floor wages are fixed and revised. They also prescribe formats and timelines for wage slips and registers.
So what does this mean for you? If you run payroll in India, your wage-slip format and record-keeping may need to change to match the notified templates. Check this before your next cycle. Our India payroll overview walks through the compliance points that shift under the new codes.
Thailand Puts a Salary Floor Under Foreign Staff
Thailand tightened the rules for foreign workers under Board of Investment promotion. Foreign expert roles now carry minimum monthly salaries between THB 35,000 and THB 150,000. Executive positions are set at THB 150,000. In addition, manufacturers with more than 100 staff must keep at least 70% of the workforce Thai. (Source: DFDL) For BOI certificates issued before June 5, 2025, the new requirements took effect January 1, 2026.
The bite is procedural. If you miss the salary or workforce ratio, the BOI system blocks submissions. That halts new foreign hires and pass renewals. For anyone scaling a Bangkok team, confirm pay levels before you start a Thailand hiring process.
Quick Hits
- Washington State, US (effective June 11, 2026): House Bill 2479 lets the Department of Labor & Industries expand a single wage complaint into a company-wide investigation. It also removes the old $20,000 cap on willful-violation penalties. (Source: Ogletree Deakins)
- UK Skilled Worker route (effective April 7, 2026): sponsored workers must now be paid at least the minimum salary in every pay period, not just on average. That tightens how sponsors run payroll. (Source: DLA Piper)
Action Items This Week
If you hire in Singapore: list every Employment Pass expiring after July 1, 2026. Check each salary against the current floor for the holder’s age and sector. Fix borderline cases before filing the renewal.
If you employ in the UK: confirm your payroll pays statutory sick pay from day one. Also update paternity and parental leave policies to day-one eligibility. Tighten probation documentation ahead of the 2027 unfair-dismissal change.
If you run payroll in India: compare your wage-slip and register formats against the Code on Wages (Central) Rules, 2026. Adjust before your next pay run.
If you hire in Thailand under BOI: verify foreign-staff salaries meet the THB 35,000 to THB 150,000 bands. Also confirm your Thai workforce ratio holds, so the BOI system does not block renewals.
The Bottom Line
Singapore Employment Pass renewals are the deadline to watch this fortnight, but the pattern is wider. Pay floors, day-one rights, and notified wage rules are all moving, and each one carries its own date. Juggling four compliance calendars across four countries pulls a team off product. Asanify’s Global HRMS and EOR handle multi-country payroll, pass tracking, and statutory compliance in one place. Worth a look before the next renewal sneaks up on you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What changes for Singapore Employment Pass renewals on July 1, 2026?
From July 1, 2026, Employment Pass renewals must meet the revised COMPASS criteria. New applications have followed those criteria since January 1, 2026. That includes updated C1 sector salary benchmarks, a refreshed C2 qualifications list, and a revised Shortage Occupation List. A renewal that passed before can fail now if the salary no longer clears the benchmark.
Can an EOR sponsor an Employment Pass in Singapore?
No. Only a company with a local Singapore entity can sponsor an Employment Pass. An EOR can employ and pay local staff in Singapore. But it cannot act as the sponsor for an EP. So you need your own entity, or a different route, for that specific pass.
Are the UK day-one employment rights already in effect?
Yes. Since April 6, 2026, statutory sick pay is payable from day one. Paternity and unpaid parental leave are also day-one rights now. The removal of the qualifying period for unfair dismissal is a separate change scheduled for 2027. So employers have time to prepare their processes.
What did India’s Code on Wages Central Rules change?
The Code on Wages (Central) Rules, 2026 was notified on May 8, 2026. It sets the procedures for fixing and revising minimum and floor wages. They also prescribe formats and timelines for wage slips and registers. Employers running Indian payroll should align their templates with the notified formats.
How often do these international employment rules change?
Pay and tax thresholds usually reset once a year, often between January and July. Immigration and labour-code rules can shift with less warning. A per-country compliance calendar, reviewed monthly, is the only reliable way to avoid missing a deadline.
Not to be considered as tax, legal, financial or HR advice. Regulations change over time so please consult a lawyer, accountant or Labour Law expert for specific guidance.
