Your Guide to Sick Leave in Singapore

An employee covered by the Employment Act is entitled to paid sick leave, including medical leave issued by a dentist if:

i.   The employee:

-   Has served the employer for at least three months; and

-   Has informed or attempted to inform the employer of his/her absence within 48 hours. 

Otherwise, the employee will be deemed to be absent from work without permission or reasonable excuse; and

ii.   The sick leave is certified by the company's doctor or by a government doctor (including doctors from approved public medical institutions*) when company doctors are not readily available (such as when company doctors are closed or very inconveniently located) and during emergency situations. If the company does not have appointed doctors, the sick leave must be certified by a government doctors (including doctors from approved public medical institutions*).

The employer also has the discretion to accept medical certificates from:

• A private doctor; or
• A traditional Chinese medical practitioner.

* The approved public medical institutions are:

1. Alexandra Hospital
2. Changi General Hospital
3. Institute of Mental Health / Woodbridge Hospital
4. Jurong Medical Centre
5. KK Women's and Children's Hospital
6. National Cancer Centre
7. National Dental Centre
8. National Heart Centre
9. National Neuroscience Institute
10. National Skin Centre
11. National University Hospital
12. NHG Eye Institute
13. Singapore General Hospital
14. Singapore National Eye Centre
15. Tan Tock Seng Hospital
16. The Cancer Institute
17. The Heart Institute
18. All polyclinics under the National Healthcare Group
19. All polyclinics under the Singapore Health Services.

The number of days of paid sick leave a new employee is entitled to depends on his service period:

* An employee is deemed to be hospitalised if he/she is certified by a doctor to be in need of hospitalization. He does not necessarily have to be warded in a hospital. 

Cap on total number of paid sick leave

The total number of days of outpatient and hospitalisation sick leave that an employee can take is capped at the total number of days of hospitalisation sick leave the employee is entitled to. For example, if an employee has already taken 14 days of outpatient sick leave in that year, the number of days of hospitalisation sick leave that he can take is 46 days (60 – 14 = 46). . Likewise, for those in their 4th, 5th and 6th month of service, the total number of days of sick leave is also capped at the respective hospitalisation leave entitlements.

Reimbursement of medical expenses

If the employee has worked for at least three months, the employer is legally obliged to bear the medical examination fee i.e. medical consultation fee. For other medical costs such as medication, treatment or ward charges, the employer is obliged to bear such costs depending on the medical benefits provided for in the employee's employment contract or the collective agreement signed between the company with its union.
 

Payment of Salary

If the employee is on paid hospitalisation leave, his employer has to pay him at his gross rate of pay.
If the employee is on paid outpatient sick leave, his employer has to pay him at his gross rate of pay excluding any shift allowance.

The Tripartite Review Committee on the Employment Act has recommended that shift allowance be payable under extenuating circumstances. For shift allowances which has all along been given on a monthly basis, and no deduction has been made for absence due to outpatient sick leave, such payment should continue to be paid unless the employer and the employee or the trade union representing the employees have negotiated and agreed to make variations to the existing arrangement. 
 

Sick leave on rest day, public holiday, annual leave, non-working day and on no-pay leave

An employee will not be entitled to paid sick leave on these days even if he is given a medical leave by the doctor. This is because the employee is not required to report for work on these days and there is therefore no necessity for him to apply for sick leave to stay away for work. However, he is entitled to claim for the medical examination fee. His entitlement to claim for other medical expenses would depend on the medical benefits provided in his employment contract or the collective agreement signed between the company and its union.
 

Sick leave on a half working day (e.g. Saturday)

Sick leave while on Annual leave

Utilisation of Sick leave entitlement

a)   Allow the employee to go on extended no-pay leave for an agreed period;

b)   Make other working arrangements that are acceptable to both parties such as re-assigning the employee's duties; or

c)   Obtain a medical assessment of the employee's suitability for continued employment.

If the employee is certified unfit for continued employment, the employer can terminate his/her services. In such a situation, the contract is deemed to be frustrated The employer can compensate the employee:

• Based on what is provided for in the employment contract; or
• By making an ex-gratia payment to him/her on goodwill basis.