Statistics on Minimum Annual Leave Entitlements of Full-time Resident Employees
Ministry of ManpowerSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the characteristics of full-time resident employees receiving the statutory minimum of seven days of annual leave in their first year of service. Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked for data regarding these workers' wage percentiles, sectoral distribution, and the revenue size of their employers. Minister for Manpower Dr Tan See Leng explained that leave entitlements under the Employment Act increase annually from seven days up to a minimum of 14 days. He noted that in 2023, 18,800 employees received seven days of leave, representing only 1.1% of full-time resident employees aged 25 to 64. Minister for Manpower Dr Tan See Leng stated that specific breakdowns by income, industry, and firm revenue are not available because this group is relatively small.
Transcript
33 Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what percentage of full-time resident employees who receive only seven days of annual leave are from the bottom 20th percentile wage group; (b) what are the top five sectors where workers commonly receive only minimum annual leave entitlement; and (c) among these workers, what percentage are employed by companies with annual revenue exceeding $10 million.
Dr Tan See Leng: The Employment Act stipulates that employees are entitled to a statutory minimum of seven days of annual leave in their first year of service if they have worked with their employer for at least three months. With each year of service, an employee's statutory annual leave entitlement increases by one day, up to a minimum entitlement of 14 days.
As mentioned in our earlier replies to related Parliamentary Questions read on 14 October 2024 and 13 November 2024, 18,800 full-time resident employees aged 25 to 64 who were in their first year of employment in 2023 received seven days of paid annual leave. [Please refer to "Full-time Resident Employees Aged 25 to 64 Receiving Only Seven Days Paid Annual Leave in First Year of Employment", Official Report, 14 October 2024, Vol 95, Issue 142, Written Answers to Questions section; and "Full-time Resident Employees Who Received Only Seven Days of Paid Annual Leave in First Year of Employment", Official Report, 13 November 2024, Vol 95, Issue 147, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]
This forms a small percentage, about 1.1%, of full-time resident employees aged 25 to 64.
Persons who worked less than one year in their current job are a small group. More detailed estimates about this group, such as by income, industry and firms' annual revenue, are, therefore, not available.