Singapore's public holiday dates for 2023

Mark your calendars, as we will be kickstarting the year with a long weekend in lieu of New Year's Day. In total, there will be six long weekends in 2023.

Singapore's Ministry of Manpower has just announced (Friday, 8 April 2022) the dates of the 11 gazetted public holidays for 2023.

The dates are as follows: 

For dates that fall on Sunday, the following workday will be a public holiday.

In total, there will be six long weekends: 

1. New Year's Day - 2 January 2023, Monday, will be a public holiday.
2. Chinese New Year - 24 January 2023, Tuesday, will be a public holiday.
3. Good Friday weekend.
4. Labour Day falls on 1 May 2023, a Monday.
5. Deepavali - 13 November 2023, Monday, will be a public holiday.
6. Christmas Day falls on 25 December 2023, a Monday.

As always, employers are reminded to comply with the Employment Act.

• Employees are entitled to 11 paid public holidays a year.
• If employees are required to work on a public holiday, by default, employers should pay employees an extra day’s salary. Alternatively, by mutual agreement, the following should be provided:
  • A public holiday in lieu.
  • Time off in lieu (only for employees not covered under Part IV of Employment Act).
• The extra day's salary should be at the basic rate of pay.
  • An employee's monthly gross salary already includes payment for the holiday, so employers only need to pay an additional day’s salary.
• If employees are absent without reason on the working day before or after the holiday, they are not entitled to the holiday pay. Employers can therefore deduct one day’s pay at the gross rate from the employee's monthly gross salary.
• If the holiday falls on a rest day, the next working day will be a paid holiday.
• If employees are on a five-day workweek, Saturday would be considered a non-working day.
  • For a public holiday that falls on a Saturday, they should get either a day off or salary in lieu.
• Employees are entitled to their gross rate of pay on a public holiday, if:
  • They were not absent on the working day immediately before or after a holiday without consent or a reasonable excuse.
  • They are not on authorised leave (e.g. sick leave, annual leave, unpaid leave) on the day immediately before or after a holiday.
• Employees are not entitled to holiday pay if the holiday falls on their approved unpaid leave.
• For employees not covered under the Employment Act, additional days off or extra salary in lieu should be given according to the terms of their employment contract.
• If an employee is not covered under Part IV of the Employment Act, employers can grant them time off in lieu of working on a public holiday. The time-off should consist of a mutually agreed number of hours.
• If there is no mutual agreement on the duration of time off in lieu, the employer can decide on one of the following:
  • Pay an extra day’s salary at the basic rate of pay for one day’s work.
  • For working four hours or less on a holiday, grant time off in lieu of four hours on a working day.
  • For working more than four hours on a holiday, grant a full day off on a working day.

Photo / 123RF

Human Resources Online is on Telegram! Follow us @humanresourcesonline or click here for all the latest weekly HR and manpower news from around the region.