Holidays

There are 11 public holidays in Singapore.

• 1st January – New Year’s Day
• 25th and 26th January – Chinese New Year
• 10th April – Good Friday
• 1st May – Labour Day
• 7th May – Vesak Day
• 24th May – Hari Raya Puasa
• 31st July – Hari Raya Haji
• 9th August – National Day
• 14th November – Deepavali
• 25th December – Christmas Day

Employees are entitled to a paid holiday at their gross rate of pay on a public holiday that falls during the time that they are employed, subject to the following:

• by agreement between the employer and the employee any other day or days may be substituted for any one or more public holidays
• if any public holiday falls on a rest day, the next working day following that rest day shall be a paid holiday; and
• if any public holiday falls on a day when the employee is not required to work under his contract of service, the employer may either pay the employee for that holiday at his gross rate of pay or give the employee a day off in substitution for that holiday.

Accruals

PTO (Paid Time Off)

• Vacation/Annual Paid Leave

An employee who has been employed for a period of not less than 3 months is entitled to the following:

• 7 days of paid annual leave, for the first 12 months of continuous service with the same employer; 
• an additional one day of paid annual leave, for every subsequent 12 months of continuous service with the same employer;
• a maximum of 14 days of paid annual leave.

An employee who has been employed for a period of not less than 3 months, but has not completed 12 months of continuous service in any year, is entitled to annual leave in proportion to the number of completed months of service in that year.

• Rollovers and payout of unused hours

• Use-it-or-lose-it policy 

The employer must grant, and the employee must take, the employee’s paid annual leave not later than 12 months after the end of every 12 months of continuous service; and

If the employee fails to take that leave by the end of that period, the employee loses the entitlement for that leave.

• PTO payout at the termination

If an employee is dismissed on any ground other than misconduct before the employee has taken all of the employee’s paid annual leave, the employer must pay the employee the employee’s gross rate of pay in respect of every day of that leave not taken by the employee.

Maternity Leave

Maternity Leave

Female employees are entitled to paid maternity leave up to:

• 4 weeks immediately before the birth of a child; and
• 8 weeks immediately after the birth of a child

Employees are entitled to maternity leave during a period of 12 weeks, in agreement with an employer, commencing:

• not earlier than 28 days immediately preceding the day of childbirth; and
• not later than the day of childbirth, or

During a period of 8 weeks, in agreement with an employer, commencing:

• not earlier than 28 days immediately preceding the day of childbirth; and

• not later than the day of childbirth

One or more periods of leave may be taken in agreement with an employer. The leaves must be taken within the period of 12 months commencing on the day of childbirth.

Sick Leave

• Employees who have been employed for at least 6 months are entitled to paid sick leave up to:

• 14 days of leave per year if no hospitalization is necessary.

• 60 days per year if the hospitalization is necessary, and 

• Sum of 14 days plus the number of days on which the employee is hospitalized.

Employees are required to provide an employer with a medical certificate.

• Employees who have been employed for at least 5 months but less than 6 are entitled to paid sick leave:

• 11 days per year and 45 days in case the hospitalization is needed, or

• A sum of 11 days plus the number of days on which the employee is hospitalized

• Employees who have been employed for at least 4 months but less than 5 are entitled to:

• 8 days per year and 30 days in case of hospitalization 

• A sum of 8 days plus the days spent in hospital

• Employees who have been employed for at least 3 months but less than 4 are entitled to:

• 5 days per year and 15 days if the hospitalization is necessary

• A sum of 5 days plus the days spent in the hospital.

Jury Duty Leave and, Voting Leave

In Singapore, voting or a Polling Day is considered a public holiday, so the employer is required to provide a paid day off to their employees, just like on any other public holiday. 

Bereavement Leave/Compassionate Leave

• Since the bereavement leave is not a statutory term under Singapore’s Employment Act, the employment contract usually indicates how many days of leave employees are granted. Normally employers grant 2 to 3 days of paid bereavement leave. Some companies require employees to provide a death certificate. 

Military Leave/Reservist Leave

Reservist Leave is provided for training on an annual basis to give the opportunity to employees to refresh their skills in military reserve forces in accordance with the statutory requirements. Reservist leave is paid.

Employees are required to inform their employers as soon as they receive the official Notification of National Service Call Up –SAF 100 issued by the government.

Both full-time and part-time male employees are entitled to Reservist Leave based on the period stipulated in the SAF10 form.