I raised concerns in Parliament about the long hours our security officers face. Many still work 12 hour shifts which can be incredibly draining. I asked how many government contracts have moved to outcome based models that allow for more flexible scheduling. I also pushed for data on how many officers are still clocking more than 65 hours of overtime every month. I believe excessive overtime directly impacts their well being and alertness.
The Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs explained that all government entities must now use outcome based contracts unless there is a very strong reason not to. He noted that the government does not specifically track the exact working hours or shift patterns across all these contracts. However, he emphasised that there are licensing conditions and tripartite efforts in place to protect the welfare of our officers.
This is the full question and answer on 13 January 2026:
Data on Government’s Security Officers’ Working Hours across Different Models and Proportion of Officers Working Overtime in 2025
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the current percentage of the Government’s security contracts that have transitioned to outcome-based models that do not require security officers to be stationed for 12 hours at a time; and (b) what percentage of security officers working under Government contracts work 65 or more overtime hours monthly in 2025.
Mr K Shanmugam: Since 2020, all Government Procuring Entities (GPEs) are required to adopt outcome-based contracts (OBC) in the procurement of security services, unless they have strong reasons not to do so. All GPEs that procure security services have adopted at least one OBC.
The Government does not track data on the working hours and shift patterns of security officers across GPE security contracts. Nonetheless, measures are in place to safeguard security officers’ welfare, for example under the Police’s licensing conditions. The Government will continue working with tripartite partners to ensure fair and reasonable working conditions for security officers.
Source: Singapore Parliament Reports (Hansard)
