Forget the long to-do list. In week one, the only thing that matters is prioritization.
Some doors close within hours, others stay open for weeks, so work straight down.
Note that your personal situation and timeline might look different.
Updated July 2026 — kept current so you're not working off stale advice.
Access usually dies the moment it's official — sometimes mid-meeting. Assume you have minutes, not days.
They may push the letter at you now — the package is the one number you can still move, so don't sign in the room. Then use what stops on your last day and hand the rest back clean.
A vague "I have some savings" is what makes the gap feel bottomless. Put real dates on it and it gets manageable.
The scramble is over. Claim what you're owed, then build the routine and support that keep the search steady.
Most jobs come through people, not portals. This is where time spent compounds — start before the runway gets short.
Short, plain answers to what people ask me most. Links go straight to the official source.
First, save everything you'll need before your access is cut — payslips, IR8A, reference letters and contacts — because company access often dies the moment it's official. Then map how long your money lasts and check what you're owed. Work down the timeline above in order, and put a real date on your runway with the runway calculator.
Retrenchment benefit in Singapore is a norm, not a statutory requirement: the common range is 2 weeks to 1 month of salary per year of service for employees with at least 2 years' service, and below that an ex-gratia payment is customary. What's actually promised is whatever your employment contract or collective agreement states — so read it. See the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for the official guidelines.
Often it won't hold. In Singapore a non-compete is only enforceable if it's reasonable in scope, duration and geography and protects a genuine business interest — and a broad restriction on someone the company chose to let go frequently fails that test. Most employers never sue; the clause is usually a deterrent. Keep proof you were retrenched, ask for a carve-out or waiver as part of your exit, and see a lawyer before assuming you can't take a job. See the package negotiation guide for how to raise it. This is general information, not legal advice.
Your CPF savings stay yours — retrenchment doesn't touch your OA, MA or SA balances. Employer CPF contributions simply stop when your employment ends, and retrenchment benefits themselves are not CPF-payable. You can confirm the details with the CPF Board.
Usually only annual leave is encashed — your unused balance is paid out in the final settlement. Most other leave is use-it-or-lose-it: childcare, medical and compassionate leave are not paid out, so any balance is gone the day you leave. If you have some, take it before your last day. The same trap applies to flexi-benefits, learning budgets and outstanding claims — these usually aren't pro-rated, so you forfeit the whole remaining amount, not a slice. Check your employment terms, and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for the statutory minimums.
Your company's group insurance — hospitalisation, outpatient and dental — ends on your last working day, so use any dental, health-screening or repeat-prescription benefits before then. Two things stay with you: MediShield Life, the national scheme run by the CPF Board, never lapses; and your personal Integrated Shield Plan (IP), if you have one, continues as long as you keep paying premiums. The catch is the tier — a base IP typically covers public hospitals only, and private-hospital cover needs a pricier plan or rider. Know what you're left with before the company cover drops. See the CPF Board for MediShield Life details.
The main scheme is SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support: up to $6,000 over 6 months for involuntarily unemployed lower- and middle-income residents, paid via a points system — career coaching, job applications and training earn points that unlock monthly payouts, capped at your last job's average gross salary, and support ends the month you're re-employed. You can also tap career services from WSG Careers Connect and e2i. Apply for Jobseeker Support on the official page.
That depends on your payout, your monthly burn and any income during the search — but you can get a concrete month-count in about 60 seconds. Use the free, private Retrenchment Runway Calculator — everything runs in your browser, so nothing you type ever leaves your device.
Real numbers, every month, including the embarrassing ones. The payout, the tax, the government schemes, and whether forced FIRE can turn into the real thing.
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