Notice Period Calculator

Under the Employment Act, if no notice period is specified in the contract: less than 26 weeks of service requires 1 day notice, 26 weeks to less than 2 years requires 1 week, 2 years to less than 5 years requires 2 weeks, and 5 years or more requires 4 weeks. However, most employment contracts specify their own notice period which takes precedence.

Either party (employer or employee) can choose to pay salary in lieu of serving the notice period. This means instead of working through the notice period, the departing party pays the equivalent salary for the notice period. The payment is calculated based on gross salary including allowances.

The Employment Act provides default notice periods when the employment contract does not specify one. If a notice period is stated in the contract, both employer and employee must follow that contractual period. The notice period must be the same for both parties — an employer cannot require a longer notice from the employee than they would give.

Garden leave is when an employee serves their notice period but is not required to come to the office or perform duties. The employee remains on the payroll and receives full pay during this period. It is commonly used for senior employees to prevent them from joining competitors immediately. Garden leave must be mutually agreed or specified in the employment contract.

Yes. Either party can choose to pay salary in lieu of serving the notice period. If the employee wants to leave early, they pay the employer an amount equivalent to the remaining notice period salary. If the employer wants the employee to leave early, the employer pays the employee's remaining notice period salary. This is called payment in lieu of notice (PILON). Both the payment and the waiver should ideally be documented in writing.

Yes — CPF contributions continue normally throughout the notice period as long as the employee is still serving it. Both employer and employee CPF contributions apply to salary paid during the notice period. If payment in lieu of notice is made instead, it is treated as ordinary wages and subject to CPF up to the OW ceiling.

Garden leave (also called gardening leave) is when an employer requires an employee to stay away from the workplace during their notice period while still receiving full pay. The employment technically continues, CPF is still contributed, and the notice period counts as served. Employers use it to prevent employees from accessing confidential information or clients during the transition period. It is legal in Singapore but must be agreed upon — an employer cannot unilaterally put an employee on garden leave without their employment contract or mutual agreement allowing it.

If your employer terminates you without notice and without paying salary in lieu, this constitutes wrongful dismissal under the Employment Act. You can file a wrongful dismissal claim with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) within one month of the dismissal. MOM's Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) handles mediation. If unresolved, the Employment Claims Tribunal (ECT) can award compensation — typically the salary that would have been paid during the notice period.

The Employment Act covers most employees in Singapore regardless of employment type — full-time, part-time, contract, or fixed-term. However, the notice period is governed by the employment contract. For fixed-term contracts, the notice period for early termination should be stated in the contract. If it is not specified, the Employment Act's statutory minimum applies (1 day notice for service under 26 weeks, scaling up to 4 weeks for service of 5 years or more). Genuinely self-employed persons (not employees) are not covered by the Employment Act.

They are similar but legally distinct. Garden leave means you are technically working (on call, available) but kept away from the office — your notice period runs and employment continues. Paid leave during notice means annual leave days are being consumed, which may or may not shorten the notice period depending on the contract. During garden leave, you generally cannot start another job as employment has not ended. During paid leave, the same restriction applies. The practical difference matters most when non-compete clauses or access restrictions are involved.