Annual leave in special situations
Your annual leave entitlement may be affected under different scenarios, such as unconsumed leave, unpaid leave and leave on a half-day of work. Find out how.
Find out your annual leave entitlements under these scenarios:
Leave on half days of workShow
Any leave you take will be considered a full-day’s leave, even if it is taken on a half working day.
However, your employer can choose to treat it as a half-day’s leave. Check with your employer on whether it is the company's policy to grant a full day or half day of leave.
Treatment of unused annual leave entitlementShow
If you are covered under Part 4 of the Employment Act (i.e. a workman earning a monthly basic salary of $4,500 or less, or non-workman earning a monthly basic salary of $2,600 or less), your employer must allow you to carry forward any unused annual leave to the next 12 months.
Note: If the number of days of unused annual leave exceeds the statutory entitlements, you should check your employment contract on how such leave should be treated. This includes whether it can be encashed, carried forward or forfeited.
If you are not covered under Part 4 of the Employment Act, you should check your employment contract on how such unused annual leave should be treated. This includes whether it can be encashed, carried forward or forfeited.
Other scenarios where unused annual leave can be forfeited
Your statutory annual leave entitlement can be forfeited if you:
- Are absent from work without permission or reasonable excuse for more than 20% of the working days in the months or year.
- Are dismissed on the grounds of misconduct.
If annual leave is used up (unpaid leave)Show
You can apply for unpaid leave (also known as no-pay leave) if you are not eligible for paid annual leave or have used up your paid annual leave. Unpaid leave is subject to approval from your employer.
If you take more paid annual leave than you are entitled to, the excess leave is treated as unpaid leave, and your employer can deduct your salary accordingly. Your employer should therefore keep a record of all your leave applications, whether paid or unpaid.
If your shift exceeds 8 hoursShow
If you work shifts that are longer than 8 hours, 1 day of annual leave is equivalent to your actual working day.
For example, if you work a 12-hour shift, 1 day of leave is equivalent to 12 hours.
Marriage and compassionate leaveShow
There is no statutory entitlement for marriage and compassionate leave. Such leave entitlements depend on your employment contract or on mutual agreement between you and your employer.
You can apply for annual leave or unpaid leave for such purposes.
COVID-19 vaccination or booster shotsShow
Your employer should facilitate vaccinations by granting paid time off for:
- Your vaccination or booster shots
- Any mandatory observation period post-vaccination, if the vaccinations are done during working hours
Your employer is strongly encouraged to grant time off if you need to:
- Accompany your child for their vaccination
- Monitor your child after their vaccination (for any mandatory observation period) if the vaccinations are done during working hours
If you need a longer leave period, you may consider taking childcare leave or annual leave.
Absent without leave (AWOL)Show
If you were absent from work for more than 2 working days continuously without approval, you have breached the contract. You must pay salary in-lieu of notice to your employer. Your employer is not required to encash your annual leave.