The Ministry of Manpower has just released the list of public holidays for 2021. Is there any point planning annual leave for next year when you're not sure if you'll even be able to travel, you ask. Sure, no one knows how the coronavirus situation will pan out in 2021, whether we’ll be taking leave to go on that long-awaited holiday, or if you’ll be frolicking at the beach in Sentosa or just, er, baking more at home. Either way, no one ever complained about having more time off work (you have to use up all that annual leave anyway, right?).

Out of the 11 public holidays next year, there are four long weekends. We’ve come up with ways that you get 33 days off with just five days of leave, working around those public holidays and long weekends. We’ve even worked out the best time next year for an ultra-long break by taking the fewest number of days off.

If you still have leftover days off , it may be useful to know that there's a drought of public holidays for almost two months from May 26-Jul 20, and for almost three months from Aug 9-Nov 4. You know what to do.

Public Holidays in Singapore in 2021 — and when’s best to chope leave:

​​​​​​​Take leave on: -
Works out to: A regular long weekend, with three days off and no leave needed.

​​​​​​​Take leave on: -
Works out to: 3 days off without sacrificing any leave days.

Take leave on: -
Works out to: 3 days off, no leave needed.

Take leave on: -
Works out to: A regular weekend.

Take leave on: May 14
Works out to: A 4-day break by taking 1 day of leave.

Take leave on: May 24-25
Works out to: 5 days off, with 2 days of leave.
Potential for a super long break: Take leave on May 14, 17-21, 24-25 and 27-28 for a whopping 18-day break just by using 10 days of leave. This is the one of the rare chances you'll have in 2021 to combine two PHs for an uber long vacay.

Take leave on: Jul 19
Works out to: A four-day break with just one day of leave.

Take leave on: -
Works out to: A typical three-day long weekend — no leave required.

Take leave on: Nov 5
Works out to: 4 days off with 1 day of leave.

Take leave on: -
Works out to: A regular weekend, albeit with more gifts, food and eggnog.

Graphics: Pyron Tan