Working Time Rules: Singapore
Singapore: working hours, holiday calendars and annual leave rules for practical workforce planning.
This is a general overview, not legal advice. Limits, reference periods, exceptions, and record-keeping duties vary by sector and contract and change over time. Confirm the current rules with the official source and a qualified adviser.
Working week used in calculations40 hours per week8 hours a day over 5 days
Minimum annual leave7-14 daysEmployees covered by the Employment Act qualify for annual leave after at least three months with the employer. Statutory leave starts at seven days in the first service year and rises by one day per year to fourteen from the eighth year. Incomplete service years are prorated; a contract can provide more leave.Source
Statutory working time
Part IV of Singapore’s Employment Act regulates working hours for covered employees and excludes managers and executives. Common arrangements are capped at 44 hours a week, with daily limits depending on the number of workdays. Other employees follow contractual terms. The tool’s editable 40-hour scenario must not be treated as every employee’s statutory weekly norm.
What to check before you rely on this
- The current statutory limits, reference periods, and any opt-outs.
- Sector or collective-agreement rules that may override the defaults.
- How overtime is authorised, recorded, and compensated.
- What working-time records you must keep and for how long.