Leave in Singapore

Holiday Leave in Singapore

During the first year of employment, employees are entitled to seven days of annual leave (after the initial three months). Each following year, the holiday entitlement increases by one day, until it reaches a total of 14 days on the 8th year of service. Commonly, most employees are given 14 days of annual leave per year.

Employees (who are not workmen doing manual labour) who receive monthly salaries exceeding SGD 2,600 are entitled to whatever annual leave is agreed in the employment contract that exceeds the statutory holiday mentioned above.

Employees who are not workmen doing manual labour, and earning more than SGD 2,600, should use their annual entitlement within 12 months. They can carry it over to the next year if their employer agrees. The employee forfeits any leave, which they have not used within 12 months after the end of the relevant year of continuous service.

Public holidays

There are 11 paid public holidays a year for employees covered by the Employment Act, with payment in lieu or a replacement day-off both possible. General and presidential election days are also considered public holidays. Employees who work on a public holiday should be given an extra day's salary.

Employees are not entitled to paid public holidays if they are on unpaid leave or are absent from work the workday before or after the holiday, without the employer's consent or a reasonable excuse. Holidays that fall on Sunday are observed on the following Monday.

Singapore Public Holiday Calendar 2024

Types of Leave in Singapore

Sick leave

Employees with six months' service are entitled to 14 days of paid outpatient sick leave. If the sickness involves hospitalisation, the leave increases to 60 days per year (inclusive of the 14 days). For employees with three to six months' service, the entitlement is as follows:

• Three months: 5 paid outpatient days and 15 paid hospitalisation days
• Four months: 8 paid outpatient days and 30 paid hospitalisation days
• Five months: 11 paid outpatient days and 45 paid hospitalisation days
• Six months & more: 14 paid outpatient days and 60 paid hospitalisation days

The employee must inform the employer about the sick leave within 48 hours and obtain a medical certificate to be eligible. Employees are considered hospitalised if a doctor certifies their need for that. Employers are required to bear the medical consultation fees of an employee who has been certified to require sick leave by a doctor.

Maternity leave

Female employees have 16 weeks of full pay maternity leave (4 weeks before, and 12 after the birth of the child) if:

• The child is a Singapore citizen
• The employee has been working for the employer for at least 90 days before the child's birth

If the child is not a Singapore citizen, maternity leave is 12 weeks (the first eight weeks paid by the employer and the last four weeks unpaid).

For the first two pregnancies, the employer pays for the first eight weeks of leave, and the government pays for the remaining eight weeks. The government pays the entire leave for any additional pregnancies, capped at SGD 10,000 every four weeks.

The mother should take maternity leave before the child turns one year old. After this, the employee is entitled to up to 6 days of childcare leave each year, until the child turns 7.

Paternity leave

Employees are entitled to four weeks of paid paternity leave, funded by the government and capped at SGD 2,500 per week if:

• The child is a Singapore citizen
• The employee is or had been lawfully married to the child's mother between conception and birth or become legally married to the child's mother within 12 months after the child was born
• The employee has been working for the employer for at least 90 days before the child's birth

The leave should be taken either within 16 weeks after birth or taken flexibly within 12 months after delivery if the employer agrees.

Adoption leave

Adoptive mothers of Singaporean children, regardless of marital status, are entitled to 12 weeks of paid adoptive leave if:

• The adopted child is below the age of one at the point of the formal intent to adopt, which happens:
  • For a local child: when the employee files the court application to adopt
  • For a foreign child: when in-principle approval is granted for a Dependent's Pass
• The adopted child is a Singapore citizen or will become one within six months of the adoption
  • If the adopted child is not a Singapore citizen, at least one of the adoptive parents must be a Singapore Citizen
• The employee has been working for the employer for at least 90 days before the adoption application date
• There is a year or less between the formal intent to adopt and the order passing

The employer pays for the first four weeks of leave for the first two children, and the government pays for the remaining eight weeks. The government pays for the entire leave for additional children, capped at SGD 10,000 every four weeks. The adoption leave may start from the formal intent to adopt and must be used before the child's first birthday.

Adoptive fathers are entitled to two weeks of paid adoptive leave by the government (capped at SGD 2,500 per week) if they meet the following requirements:

• The adopted child is a Singapore citizen or will become one within six months of the adoption
  • If the adopted child is not a Singapore citizen, at least one of the adoptive parents must be a Singapore citizen
• The employee has been working for the employer for at least 90 days before the adoption application.

Shared parental leave

Male employees are entitled to share up to 4 weeks of their wife's government-paid maternity leave or adoption leave if the wife agrees to it. Payment is capped at SGD 2,500 weekly. The following criteria should be met:

• The child is a Singapore citizen or becomes one within a year from birth
• The child's mother qualifies for paid maternity leave
• The employee is legally married to the mother of the child

Childcare leave

Parents of Singapore citizen children are entitled to 6 days paid childcare leave each per year (two days if the child is not a citizen) if:

• The child is below seven years old, regardless of the number of children
• The employee has continuously worked for the same employer for the past three months

The leave is capped at 42 days for each parent. The yearly allowance must be used during the year accrued and cannot be carried forward.

The employer pays for the first three days of the leave, and the government pays the remaining three days. Payments are capped at SGD 500 per day.

Extended childcare leave

If the Singaporean child is between 7 and 12 years old, parents are entitled to two days of extended childcare leave, paid by the government and capped at SGD 500 a day.

Unpaid infant care leave

Each parent is entitled to 12 days unpaid leave a year if:

• The child is a Singapore citizen
• The child is under two years
• The employee has continuously worked for their employer for at least three months

National service leave

A male Singapore citizen may be called for up to a maximum of 40 days of National Service (NS) training annually. The employer is not required to pay the employee during this period, as the government will take responsibility for their salary.