“Boss, my MC money where?”

Introduction

Under the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA), employers are required to pay medical leave wages (MC wages) to their injured employees who are put on medical leave, in lieu of their regular wages. Medical leave wages are calculated based on the injured employee's Average Monthly Earnings (AME) [1].

Migrant workers consistently face difficulties in receiving their MC wages promptly. These delays, caused by complex claims procedures, disputes over earnings, and reliance on third-party insurers, mean workers often go for months without their legally-entitled pay. These gaps create financial difficulties and uncertainty for injured workers. There is a need for better enforcement and streamlined processes to ensure that MC wages truly serve their purpose: supporting workers while they await their compensation. 

In this article, we spotlight the stories of three injured workers who have faced long delays in receiving their MC wages. Their experiences highlight how gaps in enforcement and employer non-compliance undermine the protection that WICA is meant to provide.

The non-payment of MC wages to migrant workers is not a new issue. In January 2024, TWC2 highlighted this very issue, signalling the lack of progress in this area and the urgency and prevalence of the problem. 

Arman: Unaware of MC Wage Entitlements

On 19 September 2024, Arman was injured while lifting a heavy metal plate with another worker. Arman lost his balance and sustained a burst laceration on his left ring finger and pain in his back. He subsequently fainted from the fall. 

After the fall, Arman had to seek treatment on his own at National University Hospital. Since his accident, Arman has been placed on medical leave. However, he has not been paid his MC wages, apart from a one-time payment of $550. 

At first, Arman didn’t know he was entitled to MC wages, or that he could claim work injury compensation insurance. He only found out after speaking to HOME. It has been a year since the accident and Arman has not received his medical leave wages, or the assessment of his injuries. This is despite the fact that the matter has been brought to MOM’s and his employer’s attention.

Faisal: AME disputes

On the evening of 22 July 2024, Faisal, a construction worker, encountered an electric shock at work, causing him to fall a distance of over two metres.

After his fall, Faisal was taken by ambulance to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. Since the accident, Faisal has been on medical leave but has not received MC wages. His employer and insurer are disputing his Average Monthly Earnings (AME), which will in turn affect the quantum of both his medical leave wages and the amount of compensation he will receive as a result of his injury. 

Faisal has been facing an uphill battle for survival. After the accident, his employer did not provide accommodation until the Ministry of Manpower intervened following HOME’s request. Although the employer started providing meals for Faisal in his dormitory's canteen, the canteen staff occasionally don't allow Faisal to take his meals. When he asked the canteen staff for a reason, they refused to provide a reason. He then has to buy food on his own. 

Faisal learned about HOME through a friend and sought help for his injury claim and accommodation. Faisal knew that injured workers should receive MC wages. But knowing his rights and getting them enforced turned out to be very different things. It has been a year since Faisal’s injury; the employer is still awaiting the insurer’s decision regarding the AME before paying the MC wages. 

Azizul: Partial Payment of MC Wage

Azizul got injured in October 2024, when carrying heavy blocks of cement and sand. With time pressures by his employer to meet deadlines, he carried a 30 kg block [2]. At one point, he realised that something was wrong – he could not move. Fear struck him, and he was sent to the A&E alone since his supervisor was at a different site. His bone was found to be misaligned. 

6 months after his injury, he came to HOME and asked us for help because he had not received MC wages. In those months, he was surviving on a monthly allowance of $150 that his employer was providing him. He desperately needed his MC wages for his daily needs. 

In June 2025, Azizul finally received his compensation payout — but his MC wages remained unpaid. After HOME intervened, he received part of his MC wages, amounting to about $3000: less than half of the total MC wages he was owed, which was around $8,600. 

When Azizul  asked his employer about the remainder of MC wages, his employer said that he will pay him the full amount when he goes back to Bangladesh. This perplexed Azizul, who did not understand why his MC wages could not be paid in full, even after his compensation was paid. 

In July 2025, HOME learnt that Azizul was repatriated to Bangladesh. HOME understands from MOM that his MC wages were fully paid before he went back home. However, HOME is unable to verify this independently, as we are no longer able to get in touch with him.

Recommendations

MC wages are crucial to workers to support their day-to-day expenses and to provide support to their families. It gives them the assurance that they will be supported in the event of a work injury. 

Recommendation 1: Workers should receive MC wages even while the validity of the WICA claims are being determined

There has to be strict enforcement of the payment of MC wages, on a monthly basis, even while WICA claims are being processed by the insurer. WICA provides an avenue for employers to claim the medical leave wages back from the worker in the event that the WICA claim is found to be false, or the injury was found to not be work related [3]. Thus, MC wages should not be withheld pending the validity of the claim. 

In other words, protections enshrined in WICA for workers should not be used as a shield by employers to evade their responsibilities and obligations to those they employ. 

In cases where the AME is disputed (such as that in Faisal’s case), HOME recommends that MC wages are paid based on the basic salary of the worker. Adjustments can be made once the AME amount is finalised. 

Recommendation 2: Stronger Upkeep Support for Migrant Workers with WICA cases 

On top of their MC wages, workers undergoing WICA claims are entitled to support from their employers for their accommodation and food upkeep. However, many employers renege on this obligation, leaving workers helpless, without any means of support. There has to be stronger enforcement of employers’ upkeep obligations, to ensure that workers can have their basic needs met.

[1] AME refers to the average salary an employee earned over the 12 months preceding their work-related injury.

[2] Safety regulations advise against lifting more than 25 kg: Workplace Safety and Health Advisory Committee and Ministry of Manpower, “Workplace Safety & Health Guidelines: Service Allied to the Transport of Goods,” Tripartite Alliance Limited (TAL) (Workplace Safety and Health Advisory Committee, January 2008), https://www.tal.sg/wshc/-/media/tal/wshc/resources/publications/wsh-guidelines/files/transport.ashx.

[3] Section 54(4) of the Work Injury Compensation Act.