Medical leave wages under WICA
Medical leave wages replace your income while you recover from a work injury, calculated from your average monthly earnings (AME) rather than a flat rate. The rate you get depends on whether you were hospitalised or on outpatient MC or light duty, and how many days have passed since the accident, and MOM's published rates sit alongside a separate medical expenses cap.
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Medical leave wage rates
MOM sets two schedules, one for hospitalisation leave and one for outpatient MC or light duty:
| Leave type | Period | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Hospitalisation leave | Up to 60 days | Full average monthly earnings (AME) |
| Hospitalisation leave | 61st day to 1 year of the accident | 2/3 AME |
| Outpatient MC or light duty | Up to 14 days | Full AME |
| Outpatient MC or light duty | 15th day to 1 year of the accident | 2/3 AME |
Both schedules run only up to 1 year from the date of the accident, per the Ministry of Manpower. If your injury is still affecting your ability to work after that, the relevant question shifts from medical leave wages to permanent incapacity; see permanent incapacity.
How light duty is paid
Light duty is not the same calculation as MC. Under the Ministry of Manpower's rates, instead of a flat AME rate, your employer pays your actual wages for the light-duty period, plus a shortfall payment that tops you up to the relevant AME rate (full AME for the first 14 days of light duty, 2/3 AME from the 15th day). The Ministry of Manpower states it as full AME or your actual wages, whichever is higher, so the result should not fall below the equivalent MC rate and can sit above it if your actual wages are higher. For more on how a light-duty assignment interacts with your return to work, see light duties and return to work.
Medical expenses, separately
Medical leave wages replace lost income; medical expenses are a separate WICA benefit that covers your hospital bills, medication, and other treatment charges from the accident. The Ministry of Manpower caps this at $53,000 for accidents from 1 November 2025, or $45,000 for accidents before that date, and the treatment has to be received within one year of the accident, whichever limit is reached first.
What that cap bounds is the employer's WICA liability: past $53,000, or past the one-year mark, WICA itself stops reimbursing. It does not follow that nothing else does, and this site has no sourced answer on what covers treatment beyond the cap in any particular case. If your treatment is heading past either limit, that is a question for the Ministry of Manpower or a lawyer rather than something to assume, and it is one of the situations where the size of the loss is worth weighing against a common-law claim while the 1-year decision window is still open.
Your employer pays medical expenses directly to the hospital or clinic where possible, or, per the Ministry of Manpower, reimburses you within 14 days of receiving your original medical bills if you paid first.
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Frequently asked questions
How much medical leave wages do I get under WICA?
It depends on how long you are on leave and whether you are hospitalised, on outpatient MC, or on light duty. Under the Ministry of Manpower's rates you get full average monthly earnings (AME) for the first stretch, then two-thirds AME once you pass a threshold, up to a total of 1 year from the accident.
Are medical leave wages taxed?
No. MOM confirms medical leave wages are compensation, not income: they are not taxable, and neither employer nor employee needs to make CPF contributions on the medical leave wages themselves.
What if I am put on light duties instead of MC?
You still get paid, but the calculation is different: your employer pays your actual wages plus any shortfall between that and your average monthly earnings for that period, so you should not end up below the AME-based level you would have had on MC. The Ministry of Manpower puts it as full AME or your actual wages, whichever is higher, for the first 14 days, then two-thirds AME or actual wages, whichever is higher, from the 15th day. There is a condition attached: the Ministry of Manpower says that if you are given light duties you must return to work for them or take leave, and that if you are absent without leave you will not be able to get compensation under WICA.
Do I get paid for rest days and public holidays while on MC?
No. MOM is explicit that medical leave wages are payable only for working days covered by MC, hospitalisation leave, or light duty; they are not payable for rest days or public holidays.
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