Guides

Public holiday on a Saturday in Singapore: do you get a day off?

Checked against MOM on 15 November 2026

In 2027, three public holidays fall on a Saturday: Chinese New Year (6 February), Labour Day (1 May) and Christmas Day (25 December). There is no weekday holiday in their place. What you get depends on whether Saturday is a working day for you.

If you work Monday to Friday

Saturday is your non-working day. If the Employment Act covers you, MOM says you are entitled to another day off, or one extra day’s salary in lieu, paid at your gross rate of pay. Your employer chooses how to give it, and many companies announce a fixed day off in lieu for the whole office.

So in 2027 a Monday-to-Friday employee covered by the Act is owed three days of compensation, one for each Saturday holiday. Ask HR how your company handles them. If they give days off, add them to the leave you enter in the planner.

If you work on Saturdays

For a five-and-a-half or six-day week, Saturday is a working day, so a Saturday holiday is simply a paid day off. Pick “Monday to Saturday” in the planner and the Saturday holidays count as days off.

If Saturday is your rest day

If your rest day is Saturday (common for shift workers), the rule for holidays on a rest day applies: the following working day becomes your paid public holiday.

Not covered by the Employment Act?

The Act covers most employees, but not, for example, civil servants, domestic workers or seafarers. For anyone it does not cover, the employment contract decides.

Quick summary

Source: MOM, public holidays entitlement and pay.