Singapore KETs vs the Italian Employment Contract: What Must Be in Writing

Singapore companies often hire with a short offer letter and an employee handbook, then issue the Key Employment Terms (KETs) in the first two weeks. That works in Singapore. In Italy, the paperwork has to be ready before day one, and it is tied to a collective agreement. This guide compares the two.

KETs in Singapore  

Since 1 April 2016, employers must give written KETs to employees covered by the Employment Act who are employed for 14 days or more. The deadline is 14 days after the start of employment. The Tripartite Guidelines encourage employers to issue them before work starts, but the legal deadline is after.

KETs include items such as:

• employer and employee names;
• job title, main duties and start date;
• duration of employment if fixed;
• working arrangements and hours;
• salary period, basic salary, fixed allowances and deductions;
• overtime pay and rate where relevant;
• leave and medical benefits;
• probation and notice period.

They can be given in hard or soft copy, and common terms like leave policy can sit in a handbook. Missing or incomplete KETs can attract an administrative penalty of up to S$400 per breach. A written contract as such is not mandatory in Singapore: a contract of service can be written or oral, and the KETs are the written record.

The Italian written contract  

Italy also has a statutory list of information, set by Legislative Decree 104/2022 (the Transparency Decree, implementing EU Directive 2019/1152). The employer must give it in writing, generally at the start of the relationship, with some items allowed within a short period after. The list is longer than the Singapore KETs and includes:

• identity of the parties and place of work;
• start date, type of contract and, for fixed-term contracts, the end date;
• job title, level and category under the CCNL;
• length and conditions of probation;
• training entitlement;
• paid leave and other paid absences;
• notice periods on termination;
• pay, its components and payment frequency;
• normal working hours and overtime rules;
• the CCNL applied;
• the social security bodies receiving contributions;
• for monitoring systems that are automated, specific extra information.

Before the employee starts, the employer must also send the online hiring notification (comunicazione obbligatoria UniLav) to the labour authorities, by the day before the start date.

Key differences at a glance  

Probation must be signed before day one  

In Singapore, probation is purely contractual. In Italy, the probation clause (patto di prova, art. 2096 Civil Code) is valid only if it is written and signed before work starts. If it is missing or signed late, there is no probation and the full dismissal rules apply from the first day. The length is capped by the CCNL for the job level, with an outer limit of six months for most staff.

Fixed-term contracts are restricted  

A Singapore company can hire on a one-year contract and renew it as needed. Italy treats the open-ended contract as the norm. Under Legislative Decree 81/2015, a fixed-term contract can run freely up to 12 months. Going beyond that, up to the 24-month overall limit, requires a reason allowed by law or by the collective agreement. Renewals and extensions are counted and limited, and a gap is required between successive contracts. Breaking the rules can turn the contract into an open-ended one.

Since DL 48/2023 the allowed reasons are those set by collective agreements, replacement of other workers and, for contracts signed by 31 December 2026, technical, organisational or production needs agreed by the parties (deadline extended by DL 95/2025).

The CCNL is part of the contract  

The single biggest difference is that an Italian contract does not stand alone. It names a CCNL and a job level, and the CCNL fills in everything the contract does not say. If the contract gives less than the CCNL, the CCNL prevails. A Singapore-style “all other terms per company policy” clause will not reduce CCNL rights.

The contract also cannot change unilaterally. Moving the employee to a lower level, cutting pay or relocating them needs consent or a legal basis.

Language and signatures  

There is no legal requirement that the contract be in Italian only, but the employee must understand it, and Italian authorities work in Italian. Bilingual contracts are common. Electronic signatures are accepted.

Common questions from Singapore teams  

Can we use our Singapore offer letter template? As a commercial offer, yes. As the legal contract, no. The Italian contract has to carry the Transparency Decree information, the CCNL and the job level, and those are not in a Singapore template.

Can the contract be governed by Singapore law? For an employee working in Italy, mandatory Italian employment rules apply whatever law the parties choose, under the EU Rome I Regulation. In practice, Italian law governs the contract.

Can we change terms later by updating the handbook? Only for policies that are genuinely at the employer’s discretion. Pay, level, hours and place of work need the employee’s agreement or a legal basis.

Does a remote employee need a different contract? Remote or hybrid work (lavoro agile) needs a written individual agreement covering how it works, rest periods and the right to disconnect.

What this means if you hire through an EOR  

With an Employer of Record, the EOR is the employer named in the contract. It prepares the contract with the Transparency Decree information, the CCNL and level, the probation clause, and files the UniLav notification. Your offer letter becomes a commercial document between you and the EOR, not the legal contract.

What to agree internally before the offer:

• start date, allowing time for the contract to be signed before day one;
• permanent or fixed-term, and why;
• job duties, so the level and probation clause fit;
• salary, bonus and benefits, expressed as gross annual pay (RAL) in euro.

See how the Italian contract is structured on our Italian employment contracts page, and compare the wider framework on Italy vs Singapore . Related reading: Employment Act coverage vs Italian CCNL and Termination with notice in Singapore vs dismissal rules in Italy . Check the cost of an offer in the calculator .

The bottom line  

Singapore lets you start first and document within two weeks. Italy expects the documents first, with the collective agreement built in. Give yourself time to get the contract signed before the start date, especially if you want a probation period.

Planning an offer? Talk to us .

General information, not legal advice.