Being stuck at home during the covid-19 pandemic is dreadful but do you know what is worse? Falling sick! As more and more people continue to take precautions for their health, knowing how many days of sick leave we have is also good to keep in mind if such a problem actually does arise.

At a quick glance:

1. Am I eligible?
2. Paid outpatient and hospitalisation leave
3. Cosmetic Procedures
4. Calculation

Am I eligible?

There are 4 key criteria to fulfil:

1. You are covered by the employment act
2. Worked for your employer for 3 months or more
3. Informed or attempted to inform your employer within 48 hours
4. Medical Certificate is submitted upon return

To check if you are covered by the employment act, click here.

Paid outpatient and hospitalisation leave

Outpatient Leave

To be eligible, you must be certified by a doctor or a medical practitioner that you are unfit for work. The medical practitioner must be registered under the medical or dental registration act.

Hospitalisation Leave

This is meant to cover those that are required to stay in the hospital for reasons such as:

• Undergone day surgery or admitted
• Not admitted but requires bedrest (E.g., pregnancy related problems)
• Needs rest or more treatment after discharge

To be eligible for paid hospitalisation leave:

• Admitted as a patient or for day surgery
• Quarantined by law
• Qualified by a doctor / medical practitioner who can admit patients into an accepted hospital

Cosmetic Procedures

Employers are not obligated to allow sick leave or pay for medical fees and it is up to the doctor to decide if the procedure done is for cosmetic reasons. Some companies may pay the fees as a medical employee benefit.

Calculation of Entitlement

If you have worked for 6 months or more, you are given the full entitlement which is 14 days of outpatient leave and 60 days of paid hospitalisation leave. The 14 days are counted into the 60 days.

However, if you have worked for any period between 3-6 months, your sick leave will be pro-rated.

To find out more about annual leave click here.

For more information, visit the MOM website here.