Proposal to Increase Minimum Amount of Annual Leave Entitlement

14 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry will consider increasing the minimum amount of annual leave entitlement.

The Senior Minister of State for Manpower (Dr Koh Poh Koon) (for the Minister for Manpower): Sir, annual leave should be viewed in context alongside other entitlements that similarly support employees in balancing work and personal needs. These include paid public holidays, sick leave, childcare leave, maternity leave and paternity leave. There has also been a significant push to support the adoption of work-life initiatives and flexible work arrangements, such as through the Tripartite Standards on Work-Life Harmony and Flexible Work Arrangements.

Any increase in annual leave entitlements entails business costs and must be carefully considered in a tripartite manner. This enables us to take into account business needs and ensure employees' employability.

Bearing in mind the current economic conditions and the existing suite of other leave entitlements, there are currently no plans to review minimum annual leave entitlements. However, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and our tripartite partners will continue to monitor the labour market situation and the needs of our workforce.

Mr Deputy Speaker: Mr Louis Ng.

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Thank you, Sir. I thank the Senior Minister of State for the reply. I think we have one of the lowest minimum number of annual leave entitlements in the world. In this region, there is a whole list of countries – Malaysia, Myanmar, Mongolia, Laos, Indonesia – that actually provide a higher number of minimum days of annual leave and they provide a higher number of public holidays as well.

So, I really hope MOM can review this and study whether we can provide a higher number of minimum days of annual leave, also because I do believe that it is probably our lowest income workers who get these seven days. Those are the workers that do the most backbreaking work that will need the rest. If we do not increase it, it is likely that they just have the seven days.

Dr Koh Poh Koon: Sir, statutorily, annual leave entitlements vary across developed economies. Some, like the United Kingdom and Australia, have relatively more generous provisions while the United States does not have a federal law regulating paid annual leave.

The minimum statutory annual leave entitlement in Singapore is comparable to that in jurisdictions, such as Hong Kong and Taiwan. Singapore's statutory annual leave entitlements should also, as I have said before, be viewed alongside other paid leave entitlements that are already provided for in our laws. Employees can use these other forms of leave over and above their annual leave entitlements. In fact, in many other jurisdictions, such leave may not be available or fully paid at all.

So, I think it is a balance of different types of leave to cater to different needs and, as I have said in my main reply, MOM and our tripartite partners will continue to look at the evolving needs and adjust our legal requirements accordingly.