SINGAPORE - Lower-wage outsourced workers such as cleaners, security officers and landscape maintenance workers will enjoy more annual leave from 2029, when the minimum leave entitlement will be increased from seven to 10 days.

The increase in baseline annual leave, which will be implemented in phases, will benefit outsourced workers across five sectors: cleaning, security, landscape, lift and escalator, and waste management.

About 60 per cent of resident outsourced workers in these sectors will benefit from the annual leave increase, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in a press statement on July 19.

An outsourced worker is employed by a third-party service provider and deployed to work at a client company’s premises.

Residents refer to Singaporeans and permanent residents.

To allow businesses time to adjust, the increase in baseline leave entitlement will be implemented progressively from 2029 onwards. This will allow employers and service-buyers to plan ahead and incorporate the change into their contracts, and better manage the operational and cost impact.

More implementation details closer to the implementation date.

The move comes after NTUC assistant secretary-general Melvin Yong called on the Government to increase the baseline leave entitlement for workers under the Progressive Wage Model in outsourced sectors from seven to 10 days during the Budget 2026 debate earlier this year.

Outsourced cleaners working at East Coast Town Council, Abdul Rahman Amil and Albert Lee, said they are happy with the new baseline and look forward to having more annual leave for vacation and rest. Amil is employed by Chang Seng Services, while Lee is employed by Cleaning Solutions.

MOM noted that the increase i...