Singapore Public Holidays and Long Weekends in 2016

2015 is almost over, I can't wait for the festive season as well as 2016 to come!! Since I am working now and I don't have long stretches of school holidays anymore, public holidays as well as long weekends are very precious to me. Went to look up for the public holidays in 2016 and I'm sharing the joy here hehe! 7 long weekends and a couple more if you're willing to utilise some of your annual leave! Awesome much :D Disclaimer: The information below are from various sources.

Singapore Public Holidays 2016

Date	Day	Holiday
01 Jan 2016	Friday	New Year’s Day
08 Feb 2016	Monday	Chinese New Year
09 Feb 2016	Tuesday	Chinese New Year
25 Mar 2016	Friday	Good Friday
01 May 2016	Sunday^	Labour Day
21 May 2016	Saturday	Vesak Day
06 July 2016	Wednesday	Hari Raya Puasa
09 Aug 2016	Tuesday	National Day
12 Sep 2016	Monday	Hari Raya Haji
29 Oct 2016	Saturday	Deepavali
25 Dec 2016	Sunday*	Christmas Day

^Monday, 2 May 2016, will be a public holiday. *Monday, 26 December 2016, will be a public holiday. References: Singapore Public Holidays 2016 as Published by the Ministry of Manpower.

Public Holidays 2016 Singapore

The Singapore Employment Act acknowledges that some people may be required to work on a public holiday due to the nature of their job. In such cases, the employee should be paid an extra day’s salary and get a different day off in lieu of the public holiday they missed. Sometimes a public holiday in Singapore falls on a rest day or non-working day. In this case, the next working day is a paid holiday. There are certain situations where a worker would not receive public holiday pay; for example, if they have agreed with their employer a period of unpaid leave which includes the date of the holiday. However, if they are on unpaid leave the day before or after the public holiday, their holiday pay is not affected. Another reason a worker may not receive public holiday pay is if they were absent without reason on the working day before or after the public holiday. The Employment Act is the most important piece of legislation regarding labour in Singapore. Most working people in Singapore are covered by it, but there are exceptions. The worker must be under a contract of service with their employer. This includes foreign employees living in Singapore, and the law applies regardless of how many hours they work and how regularly they are paid. However, managers and executives earning over $4,500 per month, seafarers, domestic workers, statutory board employees and civil servants are not covered.

Singapore Long Weekend Calendar 2016

2016 Public holidays in Singapore

The diverse mix of cultures and religions in Singapore means the country marks many different occasions with public holidays. This includes the primary Christian, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist holidays, and secular events such as National Day and Labour Day. Everyone whose job is covered by the nation’s Employment Act is entitled to a day off on each of these official Singapore public holidays. This ensures that no-one is forced to work on a holy day in their religion, and all of the cultures that co-exist in Singapore are celebrated and recognised equally and respectfully. In Singapore, all working adults who are covered by the Employment Act are entitled to 11 paid public holidays in Singapore each year. These holidays are New Year’s Day, Chinese New Year (two days), Good Friday, Labour Day,Vesak Day, Hari Raya Puasa/Aidilfitri, National Day, Hari Raya Haji, Deepavali and Christmas Day. References: singapore public holidays 2016