Singapore Public Holidays in 2026: Employer Guide on Payroll, Leave Entitlements, and Compliance

1. Introduction

Singapore is a leading APAC hub, where staying aligned with Ministry of Manpower (MOM) regulations is non-negotiable. Public holidays in Singapore directly affect payroll, paid leave, overtime and shift rosters, so even small errors can snowball into benefits, insurance and tax issues. 

In this article, we will break down Singapore’s 2026 holidays calendar and provide pro tips on what HR leaders can do on staffing and payroll outsourcing for the Singapore market to minimize risks and stay compliant.

2. The Official Singapore Public Holidays for 2026 

Full-time employees covered by the Employment Act are entitled to 11 paid public holidays below in Singapore for 2026: 

• New Year’s Day: Thursday, 1 January
• Chinese New Year: Tuesday, 17 February
• Chinese New Year: Wednesday, 18 February
• Hari Raya Puasa: Saturday, 21 March
• Good Friday: Friday, 3 April (long weekend)
• Labour Day: Friday, 1 May (long weekend)
• Hari Raya Haji: Wednesday, 27 May
• Veska Day: Sunday, 31 May (long weekend)
• National Day: Sunday, 9 August (long weekend)
• Deepavali: Sunday, 8 November (long weekend)
• Christmas Day: Friday, 25 December (long weekend)

Note that both Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji follow the Islamic lunar calendar and are subject to confirmation (moon-sighting) every year. See the 2026 public holidays announced by the Ministry of Manpower here.  

Part-time staff are also entitled to pro-rated paid holidays, calculated based on hours worked.. If agreed by both parties, public holidays can also be encashed and added to the hourly gross pay for the employees. 

3. Workforce Planning Around Singapore Public Holidays in 2026

Public holidays in Singapore can impact staffing and payroll. In 2026, HR leaders should expect leave spikes and shorter approval cycles as there are several long weekends and Monday-in-lieu days. Here we have prepared some pro tips for you on four key areas. 

A. Impact of Staffing

Long weekends and Monday-in-lieu days often trigger spikes in leave applications and reduced staffing coverage, especially in retail, hospitality, warehouse, and on-call roles, where even small gaps are felt by customers. There are many ways to plan to keep operations steady:

• Discuss team-level leave schedules for long weekends and put a cap if necessary.
  
  
• Set up an A/B backfill list for critical roles and provide transparent incentives for holiday volunteers.
  
  
• Separate time-offs to avoid single-day cliffs for customer-facing roles. 

B. Managing Payroll Cycles

For public holidays that fall near salary payout day, your HR team needs to process payroll early to avoid delays. Here are the tips regarding payroll cycles:

• Move timecard approval and exception reviews earlier during public holiday weeks and appoint backup approvers to avoid delays.
  
  
• If payday is near a public holiday (e.g. Labour Day or Christmas), submit bank files at least one business day earlier and communicate the cutoffs for payroll-related approvals to managers.
  
  
• Do a monthly pre-payroll “public holiday check” to see who worked on holiday, who opted for day off, and who crossed into overtime. 

According to the Ministry of Manpower, monthly salary must be paid within 7 days and overtime work within 14 days after the end of the salary period. Failing to do so will be considered an offence and may face a fine between S$ 3,000 to S$ 15,000 and S$ 6,000 to S$ 30,000 for repeat offenders. Needless to say, employers must always prepare ahead of time to avoid missing the pay out day. 

C. Shift & Contract Workers

Night shifts that cross into midnight are one of the trickiest parts to manage. You need to be precise with holiday hours to avoid overpaying for an entire shift. Here are our tips to navigate night shift management: 

• Clearly define company policy on holidays falling on Saturday and Sunday, as well as holiday night shifts, so both the managers and employees are on the same page.
  
  
• Make sure public holiday pay rules and time-off-in-lieu options are included in contracts for temporary and contract workers, instead of having to discuss on each occasion.
  
  
• Always run a quick holiday-hour audit after each public holiday to catch potential errors before the cut-off and pay-out day. 

D. Maintaining Operational Continuity

Singapore public holidays can clash with other regions’ workdays and create handoff gaps. We recommend the following to keep customers and suppliers aligned: 

• Map the 2026 holiday calendar against your key markets and assign an owner to oversee and communicate before every holiday.
  
  
• Set and test your on-call staff threshold for public holidays and review every quarter to find the optimal setup.
  
  
• Review performance from the last public holiday (e.g. tickets, orders, overtime hours) and adjust accordingly for upcoming holidays. 

Proper planning around each Singapore public holiday can improve productivity, enhance employee satisfaction, and support smoother business operations.

R. Saranya, Info-tech

4. Employer Obligations Under the Law

Employers in Singapore must provide statutory holiday pay or a day off and apply the rules consistently. It’s also important to know who’s entitled, how pay is calculated, and when a time-off-in-lieu is applicable, as failing to comply can cause penalties and disputes with employees. 

• Paid entitlement: Employees covered by the Employment Act are entitled to 11 paid Singapore holidays in 2026.
  
  
• Substitution rules: If a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the next working day is a paid holiday. If the holiday falls on a Saturday (non-working day),  another day off or one extra day’s gross pay should be granted.
  
  
• Compliance for employers: Always document your public holiday policy for full-time and part-time workers. Apply it consistently and keep records of extra pay, time-off-in-lieu, and shift schedules for cost management and audit purposes. 

To stay compliant, employers must understand the basic entitlements and substitution rules for Singapore public holidays.

Quick Summary: Employee Entitlement for Public Holidays

Public Holiday in-Lieu

If an employee works on a public holiday, you and your employee can mutually agree to substitute a public holiday for another working day.

If an employee is not covered under Part 4 of the Employment Act, you can grant time-off-in- lieu if the employee works on a public holiday. The time off should consist of a mutually agreed number of hours.

5. Payroll & Compliance Considerations

When it comes to payroll and compliance, there are a few levers that keep everything accurate and audit-ready around Singapore’s holidays in 2026. Focus on how you plan payroll and staffing in public holiday weeks, with the four key areas below:

• Monthly payroll cycles: Public holiday weeks compress approvals and payroll runs. Bring timecard/exception approvals forward, submit bank files one business day earlier when payday is close. You can also appoint backup approvers to prevent bottlenecks.
  
  
• Overtime & shift work: Track public holiday hours precisely, especially for night shifts if you’re in the hospitality, logistics or essential services sector. Working on public holidays changes the payroll mix and may cause errors to occur more often.
  
  
• Contractor arrangements: You should always specify how public holiday pay, in-lieu options, and shift rules are in the contract to avoid misclassification or disputes afterwards.
  
  
• Audit readiness: Keep a clean record of shift rotation on public holidays, approvals, hours during normal days & public holidays, overtime eligibility, and whether the employee chooses pay or time-off-in-lieu. 

Examples: How to Calculate Pay on Public Holidays

The Ministry of Manpower in Singapore provides formulas for monthly and daily salary calculations. Here is a comparison table to show calculations under different scenarios, using the following assumptions as examples:

• Monthly salary of S$ 3,000
  
  
• 5-day work week & 8-hour per day
  
  
• Basic rate of pay:
  • Daily: S$ 138.46 (12 * monthly basic pay / 52* average number of days worked in a week)
  • Hourly: S$ 17.31 (Daily pay / 8)
    
    
• Overtime rate: S$ 25.96 (Hourly pay *1.5)

6. How Slasify Supports Employers in Singapore

Payroll and compliance are easily some of the most error-prone and time-consuming HR tasks for small- and medium-sized businesses. When public holidays, overtime, and different employee types (full-time vs part-time) come into play, every misstep can complicate payroll, insurance and tax calculations.

That’s why many companies today choose to work with an Employer of Record (EOR) in Singapore such as Slasify, to automate workflows and stay compliant for every Singapore holiday in 2026. Slasify provides trusted HR solutions for the Singapore market with benefits such as: 

• Payroll management: Slasify automates public holiday pay, leave-in-lieu, and overtime calculations, then aligns the totals with benefits, insurance, and tax with complete audit records.
  
  
• Employer of Record (EOR): Foreign companies can hire easily without setting up a legal entity in Singapore, as Slasify assumes legal employer responsibilities to save overhead costs and minimize HR complexity for you.
  
  
• Compliance expertise: When you work with Slasify, you are provided with local compliance advice to ensure leave, payroll, and benefits are aligned with MOM rules to reduce confusion and stay updated at all times.
  
  
• Strategic HR planning: Slasify helps global teams plan around public holidays to align payroll cycles with shift rotation and schedules ahead of time. 

With 2026 having 11 public holidays and several of them falling on weekends, employers must be prepared for manpower challenges by planning to ensure compliance on all fronts. Failing to have a clear and compliant plan can easily cause unnecessary legal and financial risks for your company. 

Book a free consultation with Slasify’s experts today to learn how you can navigate Singapore’s HR compliance regulations to stay compliant and productive. 

7. Must-Know FAQs on Singapore Public Holidays for Employers in 2026

1. Do all employees get paid for public holidays?

Employees covered by the Employment Act are entitled to 11 paid public holidays. Part-time staff are covered too, only that their entitlement is prorated by contracted hours. 

According to the Employment Act (Part 10, 88 holiday), if a Sunday is a rest day during a 5-day work week, the next working day will be a paid holiday. If Sunday is a non-working day, the employer can choose between paying at the gross rate of pay or giving a day off in substitution for the holiday. 

As public holiday weeks usually compress approval and payroll lead time, we recommend moving timecard and overtime approvals forward and processing payroll earlier. You can also run a public holiday check before the cut-off date. Many companies also turn to Slasify to handle payroll outsourcing in Singapore to automate payroll calculations. 

4. Can employers substitute one holiday for another?

Yes, according to the Employment Act, Part 10 s.88(1)(a), employers and employees may mutually agree to substitute a public holiday with another working day. 

Independent contractors aren’t covered by the Employment Act in the same way. Public holidays and overtime terms depend on the contract. To avoid disputes, document compensation, in-lieu options, and overtime policies in writing. If you’re unsure, Slasify can help assess your situation and provide consultation on employee vs contract risks.

While there are no specific rules on violations against MOM holiday compliance, failing to calculate payroll and provide correct leave entitlement can lead to potential fines and employee disputes. The fastest way to stay compliant is to keep everything on record and regularly monitor payroll and time-off situations.