Singapore's Fair Consideration Framework for Restaurants

Before a Singapore restaurant can apply for an Employment Pass (EP) or S Pass for a Japanese chef, it usually has to advertise the job on MyCareersFuture and consider every applicant fairly. This is the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF). Restaurants run into trouble with it in predictable ways: an ad that hides the salary, an offer made to the chef before the 14 days are up, or a salary range that does not match the pass application. This guide sets out the rules as published by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in September 2026 and how to apply them to a kitchen hire. For the passes themselves, see hiring a Japanese chef in Singapore.

1. What the FCF requires

MOM describes the FCF as setting requirements for all employers in Singapore to consider the local workforce fairly for jobs, without discriminating on characteristics not related to the job, such as age, sex, nationality or race. All employers are expected to follow the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices.

The concrete obligation is the FCF job advertising requirement: an employer submitting an EP or S Pass application must first advertise the job on MyCareersFuture and consider all candidates fairly. It does not apply to Work Permits. For how the three passes fit into one kitchen, see Work Permit vs S Pass vs EP.

2. Rules for the MyCareersFuture ad

Duration

• The ad must be open for at least 14 consecutive days. This also applies if you repost a closed ad.
• You should not make a job offer to any candidate during those 14 days.
• If you change the hiring entity's UEN, the occupation, the salary or the number of vacancies, you must post a new ad and keep it open for another 14 consecutive days before applying.
• An ad that expired or closed more than 3 months ago cannot be used. Advertise again.

Accuracy

MOM will reject EP and S Pass applications linked to ads that are discriminatory or do not represent the job accurately:

• No discriminatory words or phrases.
• The job advertised must match the occupation in the pass application.
• The employer applying must be the same as the one in the ad.
• The salary range must be visible to all candidates, the maximum cannot be more than twice the minimum, and it must contain the salary you offer the pass candidate.
• If one ad supports several applications, the number of applications cannot exceed the number of vacancies in the ad.

3. Exemptions that apply to restaurants

You do not have to advertise on MyCareersFuture if any of these applies:

• Your company has fewer than 10 employees. This covers many single site Japanese restaurants.
• The fixed monthly salary is S$22,500 or more.
• The role is short term, not more than 1 month. This can fit a guest chef for an opening or a promotion.
• The role is filled by a local transferee: an existing employee moving from a related branch, subsidiary or affiliate in Singapore.
• For the EP only, the candidate applies as an overseas intra-corporate transferee. This can apply to a chef seconded from the Japanese parent company, if the ICT conditions are met.

An exemption removes the advertising step, not the duty of fair hiring. MOM states that all employers must practise fair hiring whichever channel they use, and strongly encourages advertising on MyCareersFuture even when exempt. Note also that the 10 employee count grows with your business. A group opening a second site may cross it without noticing.

4. Writing a fair ad for a Japanese chef role

Many owners want a Japanese chef because of training and technique, not passport. The ad should say exactly that. Describe the skills and experience the job needs, not the nationality you expect to hire. Practical points:

• List the techniques and duties: fish breaking and ageing, rice preparation, omakase counter service, menu costing, supervising a section. Our sushi chef job description can be adapted.
• State the experience in years and type of kitchen, and any certification you value, such as the MAFF cooking skill certification.
• If Japanese language is genuinely needed (for example, to order from suppliers in Japan or to work with a Japanese head chef), say what it is used for. Be ready to explain the reason if asked.
• Keep the salary range realistic and within the two times rule, and make sure the EP or S Pass salary falls inside it.
• Keep records of who applied, who you interviewed and why they were or were not suitable. MOM's FAQs address whether companies must keep such records; keeping them is the simplest way to show fair consideration.

A MyCareersFuture ad reaches candidates in Singapore. To reach chefs in Japan at the same time, you will also need Japanese language channels; see writing a job ad for chefs in Japan.

5. The timeline, day by day

1. Day 0: post the ad on MyCareersFuture with the final occupation, entity and salary range.
2. Days 0 to 13: review every applicant. Interview suitable local candidates. Do not make an offer to anyone.
3. Day 14 onwards: choose the candidate, make the offer, and submit the EP or S Pass application linked to the ad.
4. If anything changes (salary, occupation, number of vacancies, hiring entity), post a new ad and restart the 14 days.
5. Within 3 months of the ad closing, use it or lose it.

For a chef in Japan, run the interviews and practical test during the 14 days, but hold the offer until day 14. Our guide to remote skills tests fits into that window.

6. What happens if you get it wrong

MOM says it will act against employers that breach the Tripartite Guidelines, and gives examples: advertising on MyCareersFuture after pre-selecting a foreigner without reviewing the applicants, and posting discriminatory ads. Since January 2020:

• The minimum work pass debarment is 12 months, and up to 24 months for more egregious cases.
• Debarment covers renewals as well as new applications. For a restaurant whose chefs are on two to three year passes, a 12 month debarment can mean losing a third to half of renewals.
• False declarations that all candidates were considered fairly can be prosecuted under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, with imprisonment of up to 2 years, a fine of up to S$20,000, or both.

Complaints about discriminatory ads or HR practices go to TAFEP, the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices.

General information checked against Ministry of Manpower pages in September 2026, not legal advice. FCF rules and exemptions change; confirm the current position with MOM or TAFEP before advertising.