Anna Agoncillo
Get ready to mark your calendars because 2026 is shaping up to be a good year for long weekends in Singapore. With 11 public holidays on the official calendar and 6 of them falling on either a Friday or Sunday, there’s no better time to start planning your leave days strategically.
Three public holidays land on a Friday, automatically giving you a three-day weekend:
a. Good Friday (Apr 3)
b. Labour Day (May 1)
c. Christmas Day (Dec 25)
Another three fall on a Sunday, which means the following Monday will be a public holiday:
c. Vesak Day (May 31) – Mon, Jun 1 off
b. National Day (Aug 9) – Mon, Aug 10 off
c. Deepavali (Nov 8) – Mon, Nov 9 off
That’s 6 long weekends to look forward to, and that’s not even counting the possibility of extending your break with just one or two leave days in between. Think staycations, regional travel, or simply recharging at home.
WHAT IF YOU HAVE TO WORK ON A PUBLIC HOLIDAY?
For those in essential services or industries that never sleep, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has clear guidelines. Employees required to work on a public holiday are entitled to an extra day’s salary at their basic rate, on top of their usual pay.
Alternatively, employers and employees can mutually agree to swap the public holiday for another working day. Time-off-in-lieu is also an option, but this only applies to certain employees including:
a. Workmen earning more than S$4,500 per month
b. Non-workmen earning more than S$2,600 per month
c. All managers and executives
Image Credits: unsplash.com
TIME TO PLAN AHEAD
Whether you’re dreaming of a beach getaway, aiming to reconnect with loved ones, or simply resting at home, 2026’s long weekends give you the perfect excuse.
So get that calendar out and plan around those golden dates. A little foresight now could mean a lot more freedom and fun later.
