Should I Give My Helpers Off Days on Singapore Public Holidays?

Friends, public holidays are tricky with a helper at home.

Some employers give every one of them off on day one, then realise Chinese New Year visiting with three kids and no help is... a lot.

Others give none, and then wonder why their helper looks a bit flat every Christmas.

Here's what the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) actually says, and the common ways families make public holidays work.

Are Maids Entitled to Public Holidays in Singapore?

No, not by law.

MOM lists domestic workers among the employees the Employment Act does not cover, together with seafarers and civil servants.

The 11 paid public holidays, and the extra day's pay for working on one, come from the Employment Act. So they do not apply to your helper automatically.

For employees outside the Act, MOM says public holiday terms follow the employment contract. Read the contract you signed with your helper and your agency. Whatever it says about public holidays is what you owe her.

What Is the Difference Between a Rest Day and a Public Holiday for My Helper?

This is where most mix-ups happen.

Swipe left or right to see the full table on mobile.

The full rest day rules, with MOM's worked pay examples, are in our guide to rest and well-being days for domestic workers.

What If a Public Holiday Falls on My Helper's Rest Day?

Her rest day stays her rest day.

The holiday does not cancel it, and it does not count as an extra one either, unless your contract says so.

This matters in 2026. Four public holidays land on a Sunday, the most common rest day:

• Vesak Day: Sunday 31 May
• National Day: Sunday 9 August
• Deepavali: Sunday 8 November
• Hari Raya Puasa falls on Saturday 21 March

Office workers under the Employment Act get the Monday off when a holiday falls on Sunday. Your helper does not get that by law. If you want to give her a replacement day, agree on it and write it down.

Which Public Holidays Are There in Singapore in 2026?

Swipe left or right to see the full table on mobile.

Dates from MOM's press release on the 2026 public holidays (16 June 2025).

Should I Give My Helper Her Own Religious Holidays Off?

The law leaves it to you. Many families find these are the days that mean the most to her.

• A Muslim helper may want Hari Raya Puasa or Hari Raya Haji for prayers and gatherings with friends.
• A Catholic or Christian helper may want Christmas Day or Good Friday for church.
• Her home country's own holidays are not Singapore public holidays. Swapping her rest day to match one is a kind, cheap gesture.
• Ask her early in the year which days matter most, then plan around your own family's busy holidays, like Chinese New Year.

For a festival-by-festival guide, see our article on helpers and Singapore's festive seasons. Read it here.

How Do Other Employers Handle Public Holidays for Their Maid?

There is no single standard. These are the common setups, and each needs to be agreed and written into the contract:

On Reddit, helper-employers often say they agree holiday plans upfront to avoid surprises. A common question there is whether a helper may stay out overnight on a holiday. Check MOM's rules and your contract on that before agreeing.

Can I Change the Public Holiday Terms After Hiring?

Promised every public holiday off and now regret it? You're not alone.

• Honour what you agreed in the current contract.
• Talk it through openly at contract renewal, and put any new terms in writing.
• Never cut the weekly rest day or the 1 non-compensable rest day a month. Those are MOM requirements.

P.S. If Chinese New Year without your helper sounds scary, try doing the reunion dinner dishes yourself once. You'll write the holiday clause very carefully after that.