Oral Answer to PQ on Reviewing minimum annual leave entitlement
NOTICE PAPER NO. 2684 OF 2024 FOR THE SITTING ON 3 APRIL 2024
QUESTION NO. 5891 FOR ORAL ANSWER
MP: Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang:
To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) when will the Ministry review the minimum annual leave entitlement of seven days provided for eligible workers under the Employment Act 1968; and (b) what factors will the Ministry consider in determining whether the minimum number of annual leave days should be increased.
Answer:
1.While the Employment Act stipulates a minimum entitlement of seven days of annual leave, this increases by one day per year of service with the employer. In 20221, over 90% of full-time resident employees aged 25 to 64 had more than seven days of annual leave. In addition, 64.6% of full-time resident employees aged 25 to 64 had 15 days or more of annual leave, higher than the 61.1% in 2018.
2.Annual leave entitlements must be seen alongside other entitlements that similarly support employees in balancing work and personal needs. These include paid public holidays, sick leave, and parental leave, which we have just recently enhanced. Beside employees’ needs, reviews of leave entitlements must also take into account the impact on business costs. There are no plans to review the annual leave entitlements for now, but we encourage more employers to review their employment benefits holistically to better attract and retain talent in our tight labour market.