Public holidays Singapore rules are specific enough that employers who rely on memory rather than a system get them wrong. The Sunday substitution rule, the pay calculation for employees who work on a public holiday, and the interaction between public holidays and annual leave periods are all specific to Singapore law. Our team has reviewed payroll records where an employee worked on National Day and received normal pay. The employer thought the public holiday rate only applied to the formal pay rate for days off. It applies in the opposite direction: working on a public holiday triggers an additional payment obligation. The Employment Act is clear on this.
Key Takeaways
- Singapore has 11 gazetted public holidays per year: New Year’s Day, Chinese New Year (2 days), Good Friday, Labour Day, Vesak Day, Hari Raya Puasa, National Day, Hari Raya Haji, Deepavali, and Christmas Day (Source: MOM)
- When a public holiday falls on Sunday, the following Monday is a substitute holiday: Employees are entitled to the substitute holiday as a day off.
- Employees who work on a public holiday are entitled to an extra day’s pay: In addition to normal daily pay, employees who work on a public holiday receive one additional day’s pay.
- Employees who are off on a public holiday receive full pay for that day: If the public holiday falls on a working day, the employee receives a paid day off.
- Public holidays that fall during annual leave are not counted as annual leave: The leave application should be adjusted to exclude the public holiday day.
The 11 Public Holidays Singapore
Singapore’s gazetted public holidays are fixed annually by the Ministry of Manpower. The dates for some holidays (Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Puasa, Hari Raya Haji, Vesak Day, Deepavali) vary each year based on the religious calendar.
For 2026, Singapore public holidays are published by MOM at the start of each year. Leave management software that uses an integrated Singapore public holiday calendar updates these dates automatically.
The fixed-date holidays:
- New Year’s Day: 1 January
- Labour Day: 1 May
- National Day: 9 August
- Christmas Day: 25 December
- Good Friday: varies (Easter calendar)
Variable-date holidays:
- Chinese New Year (2 days)
- Vesak Day
- Hari Raya Puasa
- Hari Raya Haji
- Deepavali
Sunday Substitution Rule
When a gazetted public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is designated as a substitute public holiday. Employees are entitled to the Monday off as a paid public holiday. Employers cannot substitute a different day unilaterally (Source: MOM)
The substitution creates a 3-day weekend for that week. Employers with Monday operations must plan staffing for these dates.
For leave management system Singapore software, the system must flag these substitute Mondays automatically. Employees who apply for leave on the preceding Sunday do not consume a leave day, but employees who want the Monday off do not need to apply for leave if the Monday is a substitute public holiday.
Pay Rules for Working on Public Holidays
If an employer asks or allows an employee to work on a public holiday, the employee is entitled to additional pay. The standard is an extra day’s pay (basic daily rate) on top of normal pay for that day.
The employer can offer a substitute day off in lieu of the additional pay, with the employee’s agreement.
Calculation for working on a public holiday:
- Employee works on Christmas Day (a Monday)
- Normal daily pay: SGD 3,200 / 26 = SGD 123.08
- Additional day’s pay: SGD 123.08
- Total pay for that day: SGD 246.15
This additional pay must appear as a separate line item on the payslip.
For payroll processing Singapore, payroll software must recognise public holiday work flags and apply the additional pay calculation automatically. Manual payroll systems frequently miss this, paying normal daily rate only.
“An employee who works on three public holidays per year and receives only normal pay has been underpaid by three daily rates. Over a career of 10 years, that adds up to a salary claim.”
Public Holidays and Annual Leave Interaction
When a public holiday falls during an employee’s annual leave period, that day is not counted as an annual leave day. The employee receives the public holiday as a free day and their annual leave balance is not reduced for it.
Example: An employee applies for annual leave from Monday to Friday in a week when Wednesday is a public holiday. The system deducts 4 annual leave days (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday) and treats Wednesday as a public holiday.
Leave management software that does not handle this interaction deducts 5 annual leave days for this period, over-charging the employee’s leave balance. This is one of the most common leave management errors in manual systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many public holidays are there in Singapore in 2026?
Singapore has 11 gazetted public holidays. Chinese New Year counts as 2 days. If any holiday falls on a Sunday, an additional substitute Monday is added, making the total effective days off up to 12 in those years.
Do Singapore part-time employees receive public holidays?
Yes. Part-time employees are entitled to public holidays on a pro-rated basis based on their agreed working hours versus a full-time employee. If the public holiday falls on a day they do not normally work, they receive a substitute day off or a pro-rated payment .
Can a Singapore employer require employees to work on all public holidays?
Yes, subject to paying the additional public holiday rate. Employers cannot require employees to work on public holidays without paying the additional day’s pay or granting a substitute day off. Some employment contracts specify that public holiday work is part of the role, but the pay obligation remains.
What if a Singapore employee is on sick leave when a public holiday falls?
If a public holiday falls during a period of approved sick leave, the employee is entitled to the public holiday. The sick leave application is adjusted to exclude the public holiday day. The employee’s sick leave balance is not reduced for the public holiday.
How does payroll software handle public holidays that fall on rest days in Singapore?
If a public holiday falls on the employee’s rest day (not Sunday, for shift workers), the employee is entitled to a substitute day off or an additional day’s pay. Payroll software must be configured to handle the specific rest day pattern of each employee group.
Conclusion
Singapore’s public holiday rules are specific on the Sunday substitution, the additional pay for working on holidays, and the interaction with annual leave. Manual payroll and leave systems miss all three consistently. Integrated leave management and payroll software that uses the Singapore public holiday calendar, applies substitution automatically, and triggers additional pay calculations for holiday work removes these compliance risks. The configuration investment is one-time. The compliance benefit is ongoing for every public holiday week.
Tipsoi’s leave and payroll modules use an integrated Singapore public holiday calendar with automatic substitution and holiday work pay calculation. Get a quote. Download Tipsoi’s Singapore Public Holiday Payroll Guide for a reference on holiday pay calculations.