1. INTRODUCTION

This Addendum strengthens leave administration to ensure operational continuity, patient safety, fairness, and transparency, while supporting staff wellbeing and continuous professional development. It addresses identified lapses in leave accumulation, inadequate scheduling, and unmanaged special leave requests. This Addendum supersedes all prior provisions relating to leave carry-over, leave scheduling, exam leave, and compassionate leave, where inconsistent.

 

2. REVISED ANNUAL LEAVE CYCLE

1.  The annual leave period shall run from January to November of each calendar year.
2. No annual leave shall be granted in December, except where expressly approved by Management due to exceptional operational or statutory requirements.

3. CARRY-OVER OF ANNUAL LEAVE DAYS

3.1 Maximum Carry-Over Threshold

• Employees may carry over up to one-third (33%) of their total annual leave entitlement into the following leave year.
• Any unused leave exceeding this threshold shall be automatically forfeited.

3.2 Non-Stackable / Use-First Principle

• Carried-over leave days shall not be combined with or added to the new year’s leave entitlement.
• Carried-over leave must be utilised before accessing new-year leave, unless Management approves otherwise due to operational necessity.

3.3 Carry-Over Utilisation Period

• Permanent Rule (from 2026 onward): All carried-over leave must be utilised no later than 31 January of the new leave year.
• Any carried-over leave not utilised by this date shall lapse automatically.

3.4 Transitional Provision for 2025 Leave Year

• For the 2025 leave year only, carried-over leave may be utilised up to 15 February 2026.
• Any unused leave after this date shall be forfeited.

 

4. MANDATORY LEAVE PLANNING & SCHEDULING

4.1 Departmental Leave Schedule Submission

• Nurse Managers are responsible for developing and submitting annual departmental leave schedules to the Director of Nursing Services and the HR Department by 10 January each year.
• Leave schedules must be developed through team consultation and aligned with service delivery requirements.

4.2 Rostering and Visibility

• All approved leave (annual, exam, compassionate, or other leave) must be clearly reflected in the departmental roster template, in line with company standards.
• Rosters must be accessible to staff and management, allowing visibility at a glance of who is on leave and who is available.
• This ensures transparency, consistency, and operational continuity.

4.3 Even Distribution of Leave

• Leave must be evenly distributed across the leave year to ensure uninterrupted service delivery.

4.4 Restriction on Leave Clustering

• Leave shall not be concentrated in specific months.
• As a rule, only one staff member per department per month may be on leave, unless operationally approved.

 

5. LEAVE APPROVAL AND RESCHEDULING

5.1 Submission of Leave Requests

• Staff shall submit leave requests to their direct team lead, supervisor, or manager.
• Requests shall be reviewed and approved based on:
  a. Alignment with the approved departmental leave plan, and
  b. Operational and business needs.

5.2 Approval Considerations

• Leave approval is not automatic and remains subject to departmental workload, patient care requirements, and business continuity.
• Managers must ensure leave approvals do not compromise service delivery or critical operations.

5.3 Management Right to Reschedule Leave

• Where operational or business needs change, the Company reserves the right to reschedule previously approved or planned leave, including leave captured in the January 10 departmental leave plan.
• Affected staff shall be informed as early as practicable, with alternative leave dates proposed.

5.4 Roster Consistency and Transparency

• All approved or rescheduled leave must be entered into the departmental roster at least one (1) month prior to the leave start date, and made accessible to staff and management.
• This supports forward planning, transparency, and fair application of leave provisions.

 

6. EXAM LEAVE PROVISIONS

6.1 Eligibility

• Nurses and clinical staff undertaking professional or regulatory examinations are eligible for exam leave, subject to operational requirements.
• Newly hired staff with less than six (6) months of service are entitled to pro-rated exam leave, not exceeding 40% of the annual exam leave entitlement.

6.2 Annual Exam Periods

• Exam leave is recognised for two designated examination periods annually, in line with official examination calendars.
• Advance planning is required to prevent service disruption.

6.3 Advance Notice Requirement

• Exam leave requests must be submitted at least four (4) weeks in advance.
• Late requests may be declined where operational coverage cannot be guaranteed.

6.4 Concurrent Exam Leave Limits

• To safeguard patient care, multiple staff from the same department shall not proceed on exam leave at the same time.
• The allowable number shall be determined by the Nurse Manager, based on departmental staffing strength and service criticality.

6.5 Scheduling, Accountability, and Approval Structure

• Nurse Managers hold primary responsibility for approving and scheduling exam leave within their departments and ensuring adequate operational coverage.
• Nurse Managers report to the Director of Nursing Services.
• The Director of Nursing Services and the HR Department serve as secondary approvers, providing oversight for policy compliance, fairness, and record-keeping.
• All approved exam leave must be reflected in the departmental roster at least one month in advance, visible to staff and management.

6.6 Alternative Arrangements

• Where exam leave cannot be accommodated due to operational constraints, staff may, subject to approval:
  a. Utilise annual leave, or
  b. Adjust work schedules or swap shifts with approval.

 

6.7 Use of Annual Leave for Examination Purposes

1. Where exam leave cannot be granted due to operational or staffing constraints, employees may elect to utilise part of their annual leave to attend examinations, subject to approval.
2. Annual leave used for examination purposes:
   • a. Must be approved by the Nurse Manager, with secondary approval by the Director of Nursing Services and HR.
   • b. Must be clearly identified as exam-related leave in the departmental roster.
   • c. Shall not count as an additional leave split for the purpose of annual leave fragmentation, provided it does not exceed the limits set out in Section 6.
3. This provision ensures the organisation continues to support professional development while maintaining safe staffing levels and uninterrupted service delivery.

7. COMPASSIONATE LEAVE PROVISIONS

1. Newly hired staff with less than six (6) months of service are entitled to three (3) days of compassionate leave out of the annual five (5) days.
2. Compassionate leave remains subject to verification, approval, and operational feasibility.
3. Management reserves the right to approve additional compassionate leave on a case-by-case basis under exceptional circumstances.

8. MANAGEMENT OVERSIGHT & COMPLIANCE

• All leave approvals are subject to operational requirements and staffing needs.
• Failure to comply with leave planning, scheduling timelines, or policy provisions may result in deferment, denial of leave, or forfeiture of carry-over entitlement.

9. SPLITTING & UTILISATION OF ANNUAL LEAVE (Revised)

• To promote adequate rest, well-being, and recovery, annual leave shall ordinarily be taken in no more than two (2) main leave periods per leave year, subject to approval and operational requirements.
• At least one of the two leave periods must consist of a continuous block of not less than ten (10) working days for staff on shift work schedule and not less than fourteen (14) days for staff on consultant/admin work schedule, to ensure meaningful rest and rejuvenation.
• The second leave period may be taken as a shorter continuous block, subject to operational needs.
• Exceptions to the Two-Split Rule
  The following shall not be treated as a third leave split and may be approved in addition to the two main leave periods:
  (a) Short leave of less than three (3) consecutive working days taken for personal or urgent needs.
  (b)Use of annual leave to cover examination periods, where exam leave is unavailable or cannot be approved due to operational constraints.

10. LEAVE FRAGMENTATION CONTROL

• Annual leave arrangements that result in excessive fragmentation beyond the provisions of this policy are discouraged.
• Management may decline, defer, or reschedule leave requests where such fragmentation undermines rest objectives, roster stability, patient care, or operational continuity.
• Requests for leave arrangements outside the provisions of this policy shall be considered strictly on operational grounds.

 

11. EFFECTIVE DATE

• This Addendum shall take effect from 1 January 2026.
• All previous policies, practices, or interpretations inconsistent with this Addendum are hereby withdrawn.

 

12. REVIEW AND UPDATES

This policy shall be reviewed annually or as deemed necessary by the Human Resources Department to ensure continued relevance.