Navigating Sick Leave Entitlements: Your Ultimate Guide to Eligibility and Benefits in Singapore

 

Sick leave benefits ensure that employees have the necessary time to recover from illness without the stress of losing income. It's not only a matter of legal compliance but also a reflection of a company's commitment to employee well-being.

 

For employers in Singapore, navigating sick leave entitlements is crucial to maintaining smooth operations and workplace harmony. Understanding your responsibilities and your employees' rights is critical to running a successful business. This guide provides clarity on sick leave rules and entitlements in Singapore.

 

Sick leave eligibility

 

Employees are entitled to both paid outpatient sick leave and paid hospitalisation leave. However, these entitlements are subject to specific conditions:

 

·         The employee must be covered under the Employment Act.

·         They should have completed at least 3 months of service with your company.

·         They must notify you within 48 hours if they are unable to work due to illness.(As an employer, it’s your duty to ensure that your employees are aware of the requirement and that they can submit a medical certificate upon returning to work).

 

The number of sick leave credits an employee is entitled to is based on their length of service. The maximum is 14 days for outpatient sick leave and 60 days for hospitalisation leave per year.

It's important to note that the 60 days allotted for hospitalisation leave include the 14 days allocated for outpatient sick leave. This means that if an employee uses any outpatient sick leave, it will count towards their total 60-day hospitalisation leave entitlement.

 

Consequently, the total amount of sick leave an employee can take is limited to their annual entitlement. For instance, if an employee has taken 14 days of outpatient sick leave, they can only take up to 46 days of hospitalisation leave in the same year.

 

Pro-rated sick leave for new hires

 

For employees with less than 6 months of service, sick leave is pro-rated based on their length of service. Let’s illustrate with an example.

 

For an employee who started work on 1 May 2023, sick leave taken between 1 May and 31 July 2023—their first three months of employment—will be unpaid.

 

After this period, the employee’s prorated sick leave benefits are then computed as follows:

Number of months of service completed	Entitled to paid sick leave on	Paid outpatient sick leave (days)	Paid hospitalisation leave (days)
3	01-Aug	5	15
4	01-Sep	8	30
5	01-Oct	11	45
6 and thereafter	01-Nov	14	60

 

 

Difference between outpatient and hospitalisation leave

 

·         Paid outpatient leave - Employees are eligible for paid outpatient sick leave if declared unfit for work by a medical practitioner registered under the Medical Registration Act or Dental Registration Act. This leave is designed to cover times when an employee is unable to work due to illness but is not hospitalised.

 

·         Paid hospitalisation leave – This type of sick leave is intended for times when an employee requires hospital care, including hospitalisation, day surgery, or bed rest for conditions like pregnancy-related complications. It also covers the recovery period post-discharge. Note that this leave is distinct from outpatient sick leave and includes situations like Quarantine Orders under the law.

 

Note that employers are not required to provide paid sick leave or cover medical fees for cosmetic procedures. The determination of whether a procedure is ‘cosmetic’ rests with the attending medical practitioner.

 

 

Use Adaptive Pay for sick leave management.

 

Efficient management of sick leave entitlements is essential for maintaining productivity and morale in the workplace.

 

Adaptive Pay's leave management systemis a streamlined solution. Our system allows for remote leave application and approval, seamless integration of leave records with payroll and attendance, customisable workflows for tailored leave entitlements, and comprehensive resource management for effective staffing.

Sick leave entitlements in Singapore are designed to balance the needs of both employees and employers. Understanding these entitlements and using tools like Adaptive Pay’sleave management systemcan ensure a fair and efficient process for all parties involved. Book a demo to see how our leave management app can simplify your company's sick leave application and approval process.