'Polling Day… should be treated in the same manner as any other public holiday'
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has told employers to treat May 3 as a public holiday after it was announced as the Polling Day last week.
"In accordance with Section 35 of the Parliamentary Elections Act, Polling Day, Saturday 3 May 2025, is a public holiday," MOM said in a statement.
"The Ministry would like to inform companies that Polling Day, as a public holiday, should be treated in the same manner as any other public holiday."
MOM's statement follows Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's announcement of the Polling Day's schedule last week, The Straits Times reported.
Nomination Day is set on April 23, with candidates given a minimum of nine days of campaigning before Cooling-Off Day on May 2.
MOM said all employees covered by the Employment Act are entitled to paid public holidays.
If Polling Day falls on an employee's non-working day, then the employee is entitled to either a day off or salary in lieu, according to MOM.
"If an employee is required to work on a public holiday, he is entitled to an extra day's salary for the day's work, or be given a day off," the ministry added.
Employers also have the option of granting time-off-in-lieu, based on a mutually agreed number of hours, for working on a public holiday. This applies to the following group of employees:
Workmen earning more than $4,500 a month
Non-workmen earning more than $2,600 a month
All managers and executives
Overall, employees in Singapore are entitled to 11 paid public holidays this year under the Employment Act.
