What type of leaves are employees entitled to in Singapore?

Modified on: Mon, 9 Feb, 2026 at 7:55 PM

In Singapore, employees are entitled to several types of statutory leave under the Employment Act and related legislation. Each leave type has its own eligibility rules.

Below is a general overview of the most common leave types.

Annual Leave

Up to 14 days per year, increasing with length of service.

Public Holidays

Paid leave on 11 gazetted public holidays.

Sick Leave

Up to 14 days of outpatient sick leave per year.
Up to 60 days of hospitalization leave per year.
A valid medical certificate is required.

Maternity Leave

Up to 16 weeks for eligible mothers.

Paternity Leave

Up to 2 weeks for eligible fathers.
Fathers may also access shared parental leave.

Child Care Leave

Up to 6 days per year for parents with children under age 7.

Shared Parental Leave

Fathers can share up to 4 weeks of the mother’s maternity leave, subject to eligibility.

National Service Leave (for Male Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents)

National Service (NS) is mandatory in Singapore for eligible male employees.

How Horizons handles National Service leave

NS is treated as fully paid leave.
Horizons continues to pay the employee’s full salary during NS.
Clients are billed the full salary amount for NS days.
Horizons then claims reimbursement from the Singapore government.
Once Horizons receives the reimbursement, we credit the client in a future invoice.

This ensures employees receive uninterrupted pay while employers are reimbursed in line with local regulations.

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