Annual Leave Entitlement Calculator Singapore
Calculate employee leave entitlement under the Employment Act — by years of service
PeopleCentral tracks leave entitlement automatically for every employee — balances update in real time, leave requests are approved via mobile app.
See the leave management moduleFor reference only. Verify with MOM and IRAS for official figures.
Annual leave entitlement in Singapore — the basics
Under the Employment Act, every employee who has worked for at least three months is entitled to paid annual leave. The minimum entitlement starts at 7 days for the first year of service and increases by one day for each subsequent year, up to a maximum of 14 days from the eighth year onwards. This is the statutory minimum — your company can offer more, but cannot offer less.
Annual leave entitlement by years of service
| Year of Service | Minimum Leave |
|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 days |
| Year 2 | 8 days |
| Year 3 | 9 days |
| Year 4 | 10 days |
| Year 5 | 11 days |
| Year 6 | 12 days |
| Year 7 | 13 days |
| Year 8+ | 14 days |
How annual leave is prorated for new employees
An employee must complete three months of service before they are entitled to any annual leave. After three months, leave accrues on a pro-rata basis. The formula is: (completed months of service ÷ 12) × annual entitlement. For example, an employee who joins in July and has completed 6 months by December would be entitled to 6 ÷ 12 × 7 = 3.5 days of annual leave for that year.
Annual leave for part-time employees
Part-time employees covered under the Employment Act are entitled to annual leave on a pro-rata basis relative to a full-time employee doing the same job. The formula is: (part-time hours per week ÷ full-time hours per week) × full-time annual leave entitlement. A part-time employee working 22 hours per week when full-time is 44 hours would receive 50% of the full-time annual leave.
Can annual leave carry over to the next year?
The Employment Act does not mandate that unused annual leave carry over. What happens to unused leave at year-end depends entirely on your company's leave policy. Many companies allow a carry-forward of a fixed number of days (commonly 5–7 days), while others operate a use-it-or-lose-it policy. If an employee's service ends and they have unused annual leave, the employer must pay out the unused leave as part of the final salary payment.
Frequently asked questions
When does an employee start accruing annual leave in Singapore?
After completing 3 months of continuous service. Before 3 months, there is no statutory annual leave entitlement. After 3 months, leave accrues retroactively from the start date on a pro-rata basis for the remainder of the year.
Can an employer force an employee to take annual leave?
Yes, with reasonable notice. Under the Employment Act, an employer can direct when annual leave is taken, provided they give reasonable advance notice and the employee gets to take their entitled days within the year. This is sometimes done during festive shutdowns or factory closure periods.
How is annual leave calculated when employment ends mid-year?
The entitlement is prorated to the last day of employment. Calculate (completed months of service in the year ÷ 12) × annual entitlement. Any remaining unused leave must be paid out at the daily rate of the employee's salary.
Does a public holiday during annual leave count as annual leave?
No. A public holiday falling during a period of annual leave does not count as annual leave. The employee is entitled to an additional day of annual leave for each public holiday that falls within their annual leave period.