Singapore Public Holidays 2027

Public holidays play a crucial role in shaping a company’s culture. These designated days off represent more than just breaks from the regular work routine; they are important in fostering a balanced and inclusive workplace. 

Recognizing and appropriately managing public holidays is an essential part of HR functions, contributing to employee well-being, morale and legal compliance. As we welcome the new year, HR professionals need to keep track of the Singapore public holiday 2027, as it affects work schedules, payroll, leave management, and overall business productivity.

This comprehensive Singapore Public Holiday 2027 guide will provide you with important information on Singapore’s gazetted public holidays, employee entitlements and managing public holiday pay during these dates. 

The Singapore Holiday 2027 List

Singapore, being a nation rich in diverse cultures and religions, celebrates 11 public holidays annually. Here is the list of Singapore public holiday 2027:

• New Year’s Day - 1 January 2027
• Chinese New Year (Day 1) - 6 February 2027
• Chinese New Year (Day 2) - 7 February 2027
• Hari Raya Puasa - 10 March 2027*
• Good Friday - 26 March 2027
• Labor Day - 1 May 2027
• Hari Raya Haji - 17 May 2027*
• Vesak Day - 20 May 2027
• National Day - 9 August 2027
• Deepavali - 28 October 2027
• Christmas Day - 25 December 2027

Public Holiday Entitlements in Singapore

According to the Ministry of Manpower, employees under the Employment Act are entitled to paid public holidays each year.

Typically, public holidays are considered a rest day for employees. However, if they are required to work on a public holiday, special regulations apply. 

Here are some common scenarios and rules when it comes to entitlements for public holiday 2027 Singapore: 

Do employees get paid for working on public holidays?

Employees are entitled to a gross rate of pay for working on Singapore public holiday 2027 if they are: 

• not absent on the working day before or after the holiday without consent or reasonable excuse, or
• on authorized leave (e.g., sick leave, annual leave) on the day immediately before or after a holiday. 

Employees are not entitled to holiday pay if it falls on their approved unpaid leave date. For example,

• If employees are on approved unpaid leave on 30 April 2027, they will still be entitled to a paid public holiday on 1 May 2027.
• If employees are on approved unpaid leave from 30 April to 3 May 2027, they will not be entitled to a paid public holiday on 1 May 2027.

What happens if a public holiday falls on a rest day or a non-working day?

Before we dive into the entitlements, let’s get to know the differences between rest days and non-working days: 

• A rest day is a day, as defined in the employment contract, where employees are entitled to at least 24 hours of continuous rest. 
• A non-working day is any day when employees are not required to work, but it may not necessarily be aligned with their designated rest day. 

For example, if you are on a 5-day work week, Saturday would be considered a non-working day, and Sunday would be your rest day. ​As stated in the Employment Act, when a public holiday falls on a non-working day, employees covered by the Act are eligible for either an extra day off or an additional day’s salary in lieu of the public holiday, calculated at the gross rate of pay. 

If the Singapore public holiday 2027 falls on a rest day (Sunday), the following working day (Monday) will be a paid public holiday.

In summary, if the public holiday falls on:
- Non-working day (Saturday), employees should get either a day off or salary in lieu.
- Rest day (Sunday), the next working day will be a paid public holiday.

What if an employee is not covered under the Employment Act?

In Singapore, the Employment Act does not cover all employees. The Act excludes specific groups of employees, and some include: 

• Managers and executives
• Seafarers 
• Domestic workers
• Statutory board employees
• Part-time employees
• Temporary employees

It is important to note that while the Employment Act may not cover these specific groups, alternative regulations or employment agreements may apply to ensure their rights and welfare are protected. Employers should be aware of the specific employment regulations that apply to their workforce, especially when it comes to Singapore public holiday 2027 leave and PH pay entitlements (which we cover below). 

Are employees entitled to public holidays in lieu?

If employees work on a public holiday, both the employer and employee can come to a mutual agreement to substitute a public holiday for another working day.If employees are not covered by the Employment Act, employers can grant time off in lieu of working on a public holiday. The time off, however, should consist of a mutually agreed number of hours. In the instance that no mutual agreement is made, the employer can decide on one of the following: 

• Pay an extra day’s salary at the basic rate of pay for one day’s work.
• For working 4 hours or less, grant time off in lieu of 4 hours on a working day.
• For working more than 4 hours, grant a full day off on a working day. 

Navigating Singapore Public Holiday 2027 Pay

In the case where an employee is required to work on Singapore public holiday 2027, they are entitled to PH pay as long as they are not absent from work on the working day immediately before or after the holiday without consent or a reasonable excuse.

What is the pay for working on the Singapore public holiday 2027?

When employees are required to work on a public holiday 2027, employers should: 

• Pay an extra day’s pay on top of their monthly gross salary.
• Pay overtime for work that exceeds normal working hours.

Employers and employees can also agree to substitute the Singapore public holiday 2027 for another working day. In such cases, the agreed-upon substitute day will serve as the paid public holiday.

How to calculate PH pay in Singapore?

The calculation of PH pay can vary depending on whether:

• Employee is paid monthly or hourly, and
• Holiday falls on a working day, non-working day, or rest day.

‍Example 1: Marissa earns SGD $3,000 per month and works on a public holiday (National Day, 9 August 2027).

• Daily salary: $3,000/30 days = $100
• Additional pay for working on public holiday: $100
• Total pay for the day (including the holiday pay): $100 (regular pay) + $100 (PH pay) = $200
• Outcome: Marissa will receive an extra $100 for working on National Day, in addition to her monthly salary. Their salary for the month will effectively be $3,100.

‍Example 2: Declan works on a public holiday that falls on a non-working day (Saturday).

• Outcome: Declan is entitled to either a replacement day off or an extra day’s salary in lieu. Declan should discuss with his employer which option they prefer.

‍Example 3: Mark was absent before and after a public holiday.

• Outcome: Mark is not entitled to PH pay due to an unauthorized absence.

‍Example 4: A public holiday coincides with Sarah’s annual leave.

• Outcome: Sarah is still entitled to PH pay, as it falls within their approved leave. It’s important to note that it does not count as a day of annual leave used, which should be reflected within the HR system to ensure accuracy.

‍Example 5: A public holiday coincides with Fauzi’s unpaid leave.

• Outcome: Fauzi is not entitled to PH pay, as they are on unpaid leave.

Managing Leave and Public Holiday Pay with Omni

Staying on top of Singapore public holidays, leave balances, and payroll gets a lot easier with the right system behind it. Omni is the all-in-one HRIS and multi-country payroll platform built to keep leave management, compliance, and payroll working together instead of living in separate spreadsheets.

With Omni's time off tools, accruals calculate automatically and exclude public holidays by location, so your team's leave balances stay accurate no matter which country they're working from. Employees can check balances and submit requests in seconds, managers approve with one click, and a shared team calendar shows who's out and when, so no one gets caught off guard by a long weekend. When it's time to run payroll, Omni syncs leave and public holiday pay directly into the process, supporting SGD alongside CPF contributions and tax calculations, so entitlements come out right the first time.

Have a question about how a specific public holiday affects an employee's pay? Just ask Mino, Omni's AI agent. Mino can pull up PTO balances, walk you through compliance rules for any market you operate in, and flag what needs your attention, all without digging through spreadsheets or waiting on HR.

Book a demo with our team to see how Omni can help you manage Singapore public holiday 2027 leave and entitlements with less manual work and a lot more confidence.