Provision of Prorated Paid Sick Leave for Employees Serving Probation Period

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Acting Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry has considered providing for prorated paid sick leave for employees who are still serving their probation period.

Under the Employment Act, an employee's sick leave entitlement depends on their length of service, rather than their probation period. Employees are entitled to paid outpatient sick leave and hospitalisation leave once they have served their employer for at least three months. From three months onwards, the employee's entitlement scales with their duration of service. After six months of service, the employee will get their full paid annual sick leave entitlement.

This approach reflects our tripartite consensus that entitlements should be commensurate with the employment relationship as it develops and is consistent with how other employment benefits, such as annual leave, are structured.

There are also employers who already exercise flexibility to grant paid sick leave during their probation period as part of good employment practices. The Ministry of Manpower and our tripartite partners will continue to encourage this.