Singapore Holiday & Leave Entitlement Policy: A Complete Overview

Singapore's holiday and leave entitlement policy provides employees paid time off for public holidays, annual leave and other types of leave. Employees are entitled to a total of 15 public holidays each year, including 9 mandatory public holidays like Chinese New Year, Good Friday, Labour Day and National Day. Employees are also entitled to annual leave which accrues based on their length of service, up to a maximum of 21 days per year. 

Other types of leave include paternity leave, shared parental leave, hospitalization leave and examination leave. Singapore's Employment Act sets out minimum requirements for rest days, annual leave, sick leave and other types of employment benefits that employers must comply with and provide to their employees. The holiday and leave entitlement policy aims to promote a good work-life balance and enhance employee wellbeing.

Public Holiday

Employees in Singapore are granted 11 paid holidays throughout the year, this includes:

• New Year's Day
• Chinese New Year (2 days)
• Good Friday
• Labour Day
• Vesak Day
• Hari Raya Puasa
• National Day
• Hari Raya Haji
• Deepavali
• Christmas Day
• Boxing Day

*If a public holiday falls on a Sunday, employers are required by the government to offer the next available business day as a paid holiday for their employees.

Leave Entitlement Policy in Singapore

The Singapore Employment Act provides the minimum leave entitlement for employees in Singapore. The amount and eligibility of each type of leave may vary depending on the employee's contract, length of service, and other factors. Employees should refer to their employment contract or the Ministry of Manpower website for more details on their leave entitlements. Employers are required to comply with the statutory leave provisions and may offer additional leave benefits at their discretion.

Types of Leave 

In Singapore, employees are entitled to several types of leave, including:

Annual leave 

Employees are entitled to a minimum of 7 to 14 days of paid annual leave per year, depending on their length of service. The number of annual leave days increases with each year of service, up to a maximum of 21 days per year.

Sick leave

Employees are entitled to paid sick leave for up to 14 days per year. If an employee requires more than 14 days of sick leave, they may be entitled to paid hospitalization leave for up to 60 days per year.

Childcare leave

Childcare leave is a type of leave available to employees in Singapore who have children below the age of 7. Under the Child Development Co-Savings Act (CDCA), employees are entitled to 6 days of paid childcare leave per year.

The purpose of childcare leave is to allow employees to take time off work to take care of their child's needs, such as medical appointments or childcare arrangements. Childcare leave can be taken in blocks of half-day or full-day leave, and employees can take up to 3 days of childcare leave per year in half-day blocks.

To be eligible for childcare leave, employees must have worked for their employer for at least 3 continuous months. Both working parents are entitled to childcare leave, and the leave can be shared between them if they work for different employers.

Maternity leave

Under the Employment Act, female employees are entitled to 16 weeks of paid maternity leave if they have worked for their employer for at least 3 continuous months. Maternity leave can be taken in one continuous period or in two separate periods of 8 weeks each. The second period of leave must be taken within 12 months from the date of the child's birth.

During maternity leave, female employees are entitled to their full salary, and their employment terms and conditions cannot be changed. In addition to maternity leave, female employees may also be entitled to additional maternity benefits under the government's Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) scheme.

Paternity leave

Male employees are entitled to 2 weeks of paid paternity leave if their child is a Singapore citizen and the mother is lawfully married to the father. This leave can be taken within 16 weeks of the child's birth.

Shared parental leave

Under the Child Development Co-Savings Act (CDCA), parents are entitled to share up to 4 weeks of paid parental leave, which can be taken within 12 months of the child's birth or adoption.

To be eligible for shared parental leave, both parents must be working and have worked for their employers for at least 3 continuous months. They must also share the care-giving responsibilities of their child and live with the child in the same household.

During shared parental leave, parents are entitled to their full salary, and their employment terms and conditions cannot be changed. Employers cannot dismiss or penalize employees for taking shared parental leave, and employees are entitled to return to their job or a similar job after their leave ends.

Adoption leave

Employees who adopt a child below the age of 12 months are entitled to 12 weeks of paid adoption leave, if they have worked for their employer for at least 3 continuous months.

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