The short answer
Singapore's sick leave rules do not have a separate category called "mental health leave". A mental health condition is covered by the same sick leave as any other illness.
If a doctor gives you a medical certificate (MC) for anxiety, depression, burnout or any other mental health condition, your employer must accept it and grant your statutory sick leave. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) confirmed this in a written reply to Parliament on 5 November 2025. It applies whether the condition is physical or mental.
Source: MOM's sick leave pages and its parliamentary reply, checked 21 October 2026. Rules change, so confirm on mom.gov.sg before you rely on them.
How many days you can take
Paid sick leave under the Employment Act depends on how long you have worked for your employer. You need at least 3 months of service, and you must tell your employer within 48 hours of being absent.
Outpatient sick leave (you see a doctor and get an MC, but you are not admitted):
- After 3 months of service: 5 days
- After 4 months: 8 days
- After 5 months: 11 days
- After 6 months or more: 14 days a year
Hospitalisation leave (a doctor admits you to hospital) is 15, 30, 45 and then 60 days as your service reaches 3, 4, 5 and 6 months. The 60 days include the 14 outpatient days.
Sick leave taken before you have 3 months of service is unpaid under the Act. Your contract may give you more than the legal minimum, so check your employment letter.
Who is covered: employees on a contract of service, Singaporean or foreign. The Employment Act does not cover seafarers, domestic workers, civil servants or statutory board employees, who have their own rules. Part-time employees get sick leave on a pro-rated basis, and MOM's part-time pages explain how.
Who can give you an MC
For outpatient sick leave, MOM requires an MC from a doctor registered in Singapore (or a dentist). That means a GP, a polyclinic doctor or a psychiatrist. A counsellor or therapist cannot issue an MC.
MOM also says employers must recognise MCs from teleconsultations, so an online appointment with a registered doctor is valid.
What your MC says, and what your employer sees
MOM's position is that a doctor's MC should not state the nature of your condition unless you agree. An MC that says you are unfit for work does not have to say why.
MOH has also said that clinics do not give your employer details of your condition or treatment without your consent. That statement dates from 2020, so ask your clinic how it handles this.
Whether you tell your manager or HR more is your choice. If you are unsure, your workplace mental health rights covers what you do and do not have to disclose.
If you need to see a doctor first
You do not need a diagnosis before you ask for help. At a GP or polyclinic you can say:
"I am struggling with my mental health and I am not able to work properly this week. Could you assess me, and give me an MC if you think I need one?"
The doctor decides whether an MC is appropriate. If they think you need specialist care, they can refer you. The IMH and polyclinic referral guide explains that route step by step, and subsidised mental health services covers what costs less.
Can your employer dismiss you for taking sick leave?
MOM says employers should not terminate your employment just because you took sick leave. There is an exception: an employer can end employment with notice if it judges you too ill to work and your absences seriously affect the business. If you think you were dismissed wrongly, you can file a claim with the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM). For wrongful dismissal, the claim must be made within one month of your last day of work. Managers and executives dismissed with notice need at least 6 months of service to file.
If your paid sick leave runs out, MOM's guidance is that your employer can offer no-pay leave for an agreed period, reassign your duties if you both accept it, or arrange a medical assessment. An employee a doctor certifies as unfit for work can be dismissed with notice.
If your employer refuses a valid MC or does not pay you for sick leave, contact MOM or TADM (mom.gov.sg and tal.sg).
Discrimination and the Workplace Fairness Act
Mental health conditions are a protected characteristic under the Workplace Fairness Act. The Act has passed but is not in force yet. TAFEP says it is expected by the end of 2027, so it does not protect you today.
Until then, TAFEP's Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices apply. The Tripartite Advisory on Mental Health and Well-being at Workplaces, issued in November 2023, covers support for returning to work and keeping your information confidential. It also says employers should not ask job applicants to declare a mental health condition unless it is relevant to the job. These are guidelines, not law.
If you are coming back after a long absence, going back to work after burnout has a practical plan.
When a few days off is not enough
Sick leave gives you time. It does not always change what is behind the exhaustion, low mood or anxiety. If you keep needing time off, or you dread going back, that is a good reason to talk to someone regularly.
Heal Counselling offers a free 30-minute consultation, in person, on a walk, or online. You do not need a referral or an MC to book.
If you are in crisis right now, call national mindline on 1771 (24 hours), or 995 in an emergency.