Singapore Employment Guide

Singapore Employment Guide

Singapore is in Southeast Asia, at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, adjacent to Malaysia and Indonesia. It has ~5.7 million people; official languages include English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil, with Singapore City as its capital. Its highly developed economy is service-led, with competitive finance, trade, IT and biomedicine globally, while ports and logistics are key economic pillars. Labor laws (per Employment Act of Singapore) protect wages, hours, leave and social security. Standard workweek: 44 hours (overtime needs extra pay or time off). Salaries are usually monthly (avg. SGD 5,500 pre-tax). Laws cover paid leave and protect contract/temp workers, balancing interests for a fair, flexible labor market.

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Currency

Singapore Dollar (SGD, $)

Capital

Singapore (city-state)

Official language

English, Malay, Mandarin Chinese, and Tamil

Salary Cycle

Monthly

Our Employment Guide in Singapore

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Paid Time Off (PTO) Policy

Full-time employees at SailGlobal are entitled to 7 days of paid time off annually. PTO is accrued at a rate of 0.58 days per month, and employees become eligible after completing three months of service. For each additional year of service, employees gain an extra day of PTO, up to a maximum of 14 days. This structure rewards loyalty and supports work-life balance.

Public Holidays in Singapore

Singapore observes 10 statutory public holidays, totaling 11 days off. These holidays reflect the nation's multicultural fabric and include:

  1. New Year's Day
  2. Chinese New Year (2 days)
  3. Good Friday
  4. Labour Day
  5. Eid al-Fitr
  6. Vesak Day
  7. Eid al-Adha
  8. National Day
  9. Deepavali
  10. Christmas Day

For example, companies like SailGlobal often align their leave policies with these dates to ensure compliance and employee satisfaction.

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