Singapore's 2021 public holidays announced

The Ministry of Manpower today announced the dates of the 11 gazetted public holidays for 2021. 

The dates are as follows:

• New Year's Day
  • 1 Jan 2021, Friday
• Chinese New Year
  • 12 Feb 2021, Friday
  • 13 Feb 2021, Saturday
• Good Friday
  • 2 Apr 2021, Friday
• Labour Day
  • 1 May 202,1 Saturday
• Hari Raya Puasa*
  • 13 May 2021, Thursday
• Vesak Day
  • 26 May 2021, Wednesday
• Hari Raya Haji*
  • 20 July 2021, Tuesday
• National Day
  • 9 Aug 2021, Monday
• Deepavali
  • 4 Nov 2021, Thursday
• Christmas Day
  • 25 Dec 2021, Saturday

Note: the holidays in red and marked with an asterisk are subject to change.

Add the dates on your calendar here.

Four long weekends in 2021

With three holidays falling on a Friday (New Year's Day, Chinese New Year, and Good Friday) and one holiday falling on a Monday (National Day), employees in Singapore can look forward to four long weekends in 2021. 

Employers should note that in line with the amendments to the Employment Act that took effect from 1 April 2019, all managers and executives are entitled to core provisions of the Employment Act, such as paid public holidays.

According to the Employment Act:

• An employee who is required to work on a public holiday is entitled to an extra day’s salary at the basic rate of pay, in addition to his gross rate of pay for that day.
• Alternatively, the employer and employee may mutually agree to substitute a public holiday for another working day.
• An employer also has the additional option of granting time-off-in-lieu, based on a mutually agreed number of hours, for working on a public holiday for the following group of employees:
  • Workmen earning more than $4,500 a month;
  • Non-workmen earning more than $2,600 a month; and
  • All managers and executives.
• If a public holiday falls on a non-working day, employees are entitled to another day off or one extra day's salary in lieu of the public holiday at the gross rate of pay.
  • For employees on a 5-day work week, Saturday would be considered a non-working day. Hence, employees should get either a day off or salary in lieu.
• If a public holiday falls on an employees' rest day, the following working day will be a paid public holiday.

More details on public holiday entitlements and pay can be found here.

Photo / iStock