Singapore Public Holidays 2025: Guide

Posted on 23 December 2024 in Business | Suki Bajaj

Another year, another calendar to conquer! To all HR professionals in Singapore, we know the drill: planning for public holidays isn't just about marking dates - it's about strategic workforce management.

From minimising disruption to maximising productivity (and keeping our employees happy!), getting a head start is key.

So, grab your planners because we've got the essential guide to Singapore's public holidays in 2025.

Consider it your go-to resource for navigating leave requests, optimising schedules, and fostering a positive work environment.

Keep your public holiday policies compliant and up-to-date
with the latest MOM regulations.

Start your 14-day FREE trial today!

In this guide, we’ll talk about:

Singapore Public Holidays 2025
Everything You Need to Know About Public Holidays Entitlement and Pay in Singapore
Do employees get paid for working on public holidays?
What if a public holiday falls on a non-working day?
What if a public holiday falls on a rest day in Singapore?
What happens if a public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday?
What if an employee is not covered under Part IV of the Employment Act?

Singapore Public Holidays 2025

Kicking things off, we have a bit of a scheduling quirk: both New Year's Day and Chinese New Year fall in January! This means careful planning for those January manpower needs.

But the real excitement lies in the long weekends. In 2025, we’re blessed with four of them! Think of the employee morale boost and the strategic leave planning you can encourage!

Here's the full 2025 public holiday calendar to get all the details on Singapore's 11 gazetted public holidays.

New Year's Day, Jan 1, Wednesday
Chinese New Year, Jan 29, Wednesday
Chinese New Year, Jan 30, Thursday
Hari Raya Puasa, Mar 31, Monday*
Good Friday, Apr 18, Friday
Labour Day, May 1, Thursday
Vesak Day, May 12, Monday
Hari Raya Haji, Jun 7, Saturday*
National Day, Aug 9, Saturday
Deepavali, Oct 20, Monday
Christmas Day, Dec 25, Thursday

*Subject to Confirmation

Source: MINISTRY OF MANPOWER

Knowing these dates is crucial for HR. You can proactively manage leave requests, plan company events, and ensure adequate staffing levels throughout the year.

Plus, let's be honest, sharing these long weekend opportunities with your employees is always a win for internal communications!

💡 Did you know?

QuickHR Leave Management System automatically syncs with the latest changes on public holidays and MOM regulations in Singapore. Plus, you can easily add company-specific holidays and off-days, keeping everything in one convenient place.

Everything You Need to Know About Public Holidays Entitlement and Pay in Singapore

In Singapore, every employee is entitled to 11 paid public holidays a year. According to the Employment Act, employees are entitled to a 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 on authorised leave (e.g. sick leave, annual leave, unpaid leave) on the day immediately before or after a holiday.

If an employee is not covered by the Employment Act, the terms will be based on the employment contract.

Do employees get paid for working on public holidays?

If an employee is required to work on a public holiday, the employer should pay an extra day’s salary or grant time off in lieu.

An employee can request a public holiday in lieu, in which the employee and the employer can mutually agree to substitute a public holiday for another working day.

What if a public holiday falls on a non-working day?

In accordance with the Employment Act, if a public holiday falls on a non-working day, an employee is entitled to another day off or one extra day's salary in lieu of the public holiday at the gross rate of pay.

What if a public holiday falls on a rest day in Singapore?

If a public holiday falls on the employee’s rest day, the following working day will be a paid public holiday.

What happens if a public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday?

For a public holiday that falls on a Saturday, an employee should get either a day off or salary in lieu.

For a public holiday that falls on a Sunday, the following day on Monday would be gazetted as a public holiday (also called holiday-in-lieu).

What if an employee is not covered under Part IV of the Employment Act?

If an employee is not covered under Part IV of the Employment Act, the employer can grant time off in lieu for 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 4 hours or less on a holiday, grant time off in lieu of 4 hours on a working day.
For working more than 4 hours on a holiday, grant a full day off on a working day.

You can also use this public holiday pay calculator to check the employee’s pay for working on a public holiday that falls on a working day or non-working day.

NOTE: This calculator is only applicable for full-time employees covered by the Employment Act.

💡 Smart Tip

You may use QuickHR’s seamless payroll management software to ensure accurate calculation of the employees’ pay on public holidays!

2025's public holidays are already on our radar! Let's map out these dates now to avoid last-minute scrambles and keep things running smoothly.

Simplify Your Public Holiday and Leave Management

Imagine never having to manually update your leave system for public holidays or worry about MOM compliance!

QuickHR Leave Management System offers streamlined and transparent leave processing, benefiting both employees and organisations alike.

Submit, review, and approve/reject leave requests in real-time
Monitor leave balances (accrued and used) instantly
Configure accrual rules and automatic balance updates according to MOM regulations
Supports all standard leave types (annual, sick, personal, maternity/paternity, etc.)
Visualise leave schedules with calendar integration to prevent conflicts
Generate reports on leave trends, usage, and attendance
Seamlessly integrate leave data with payroll for accurate processing
Receive email alerts for leave submissions, approvals, and rejections