Singapore will have four long weekends in 2019 as the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) today released the list of the country’s public holidays for next year.
According to the list, there will be four long weekends (with holidays either following on a Friday or Monday) in 2019. There will be two public holidays that fall on a Friday- Good Friday (April 19) and National Day (August 9).
In addition to this, there are three holidays which are falling on a Sunday, meaning that the following Monday will be a public holiday. These days include Vesak Day (May 19), Hari Raya Haji (August 11) and Deepavali (October 27).
The dates of the 11 gazetted public holidays for 2019 are as follows:
- New Year’s Day January 1, 2019 Tuesday
- Chinese New Year February 5, 2019 Tuesday
- February 6, 2019 Wednesday
- Good Friday April 19, 2019 Friday
- Labour Day May 1, 2019 Wednesday
- Vesak Day May 19, 2019 Sunday
- Hari Raya Puasa June 5, 2019 Wednesday
- National Day August 9, 2019 Friday
- Hari Raya Haji August 11, 2019 Sunday
- Deepavali October 27, 2019 Sunday
- Christmas Day December 25, 2019 Wednesday
Though there are four long weekends in 2018, there were seven long weekends in 2017 and 2015 and six in 2016.
MOM has also clarified that under the Employment Act, if a public holiday falls on a Saturday, an employee who is not required to work on a Saturday is entitled to another day off or an extra day's salary in lieu of that public holiday.
In addition to this, workers required to work on a public holiday are entitled to an extra day's salary at the basic rate of pay, or the employer and employee may mutually agree to substitute a public holiday for another working day.