Statistics on Workers Receiving Only Seven Days of Annual Leave

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what is the current percentage of workers who receive only seven days of annual leave; and (b) what are the mean and median salaries of workers receiving only seven days of annual leave.

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.

In 2021, about 17% of full-time employees had worked for their current employer for less than a year and were entitled to the statutory minimum of seven days of annual leave, although some may receive more from their employers. The mean and median incomes1 of these employees were about $4,700 and $3,500 per month respectively.