Source: CNA
- wong chee tat :)
Showing posts with label holiday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holiday. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Singapore Public Holidays 2015
Public Holidays 2015
 | New Year's Day Thursday 1 January 2015 |  | Chinese New Year Thursday 19 February 2015 Friday 20 February 2015 |  | Good Friday Friday 3 April 2015 | |||
 | ||||||||
 |
Labour Day
Friday 1 May 2015 |  |
Vesak Day
Monday 1 June 2015 |  |
Hari Raya Puasa
Friday 17 July 2015 | |||
| ||||||||
 |
National Day
Sunday* 9 August 2015 | |
Hari Raya Haji
Thursday 24 September 2015 |  |
Deepavali
Tuesday 10 November 2015** | |||
| ||||||||
 |
Christmas Day
Friday 25 December 2015 | |||||||
| ||||||||
* The following Monday will be a public holiday
** Subject to change. Tentatively, Deepavali will fall on 10 November 2015. As with previous years, the Deepavali date on 10 November 2015 may be subject to change and will need to be reconfirmed when the Hindu Almanac is available in the first half of 2015. Should there be a change in the date, the Ministry of Manpower will issue a media release to announce the change accordingly.
** Subject to change. Tentatively, Deepavali will fall on 10 November 2015. As with previous years, the Deepavali date on 10 November 2015 may be subject to change and will need to be reconfirmed when the Hindu Almanac is available in the first half of 2015. Should there be a change in the date, the Ministry of Manpower will issue a media release to announce the change accordingly.
- wong chee tat :)
Friday, August 9, 2013
Car rentals rise by 20% over long weekend
Car rentals rise by 20% over long weekend
POSTED: 08 Aug 2013 5:35 PM
Some car rental companies have said car rentals have gone up by some 20 per cent over the long weekend, compared to the same period last year. The companies added that their car rental packages were sold as early as a month ago.
SINGAPORE: Some car rental companies have said car rentals have gone up by some 20 per cent over the long weekend, compared to the same period last year.
The companies added that their car rental packages were sold as early as a month ago.
Hawk Rent a Car said it has rented out some 500 cars.
At another company, Ace Drive, about 80 per cent of the customers are Muslims who have rented the cars to visit their relatives during the Hari Raya holiday.
The other 20 per cent of its customers have rented the cars to head across the Causeway.
The companies believe that the rental business will continue to increase even after the festive season.
Jesse Tan, managing director at Ace Drive, said: "Another reason is because, lately, the MAS has come out with the loan curbs... This helps to increase the (rental) demand for this period."
- CNA/xq
- wong chee tat :)
POSTED: 08 Aug 2013 5:35 PM
Some car rental companies have said car rentals have gone up by some 20 per cent over the long weekend, compared to the same period last year. The companies added that their car rental packages were sold as early as a month ago.
SINGAPORE: Some car rental companies have said car rentals have gone up by some 20 per cent over the long weekend, compared to the same period last year.
The companies added that their car rental packages were sold as early as a month ago.
Hawk Rent a Car said it has rented out some 500 cars.
At another company, Ace Drive, about 80 per cent of the customers are Muslims who have rented the cars to visit their relatives during the Hari Raya holiday.
The other 20 per cent of its customers have rented the cars to head across the Causeway.
The companies believe that the rental business will continue to increase even after the festive season.
Jesse Tan, managing director at Ace Drive, said: "Another reason is because, lately, the MAS has come out with the loan curbs... This helps to increase the (rental) demand for this period."
- CNA/xq
- wong chee tat :)
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Deepavali falls on 2 Nov; 4 Nov not public holiday
Deepavali falls on 2 Nov; 4 Nov not public holiday
POSTED: 10 Apr 2013 1:49 PM
Deepavali will fall on 2 November instead of 3 November, as advised by The Hindu Advisory Board.
SINGAPORE: Deepavali this year will now be on 2 November.
The Hindu Advisory Board (HAB) advised that Deepavali will fall on 2 November (Saturday) instead of 3 November 2013 (Sunday).
The Ministry of Manpower said since Deepavali is no longer on 3 November, 4 November will not be a public holiday.
Instead, 2 November will be gazetted as a public holiday.
MOM has also released the dates for 2014’s public holidays which is available on MOM's website.
- CNA/ck
- wong chee tat :)
POSTED: 10 Apr 2013 1:49 PM
Deepavali will fall on 2 November instead of 3 November, as advised by The Hindu Advisory Board.
SINGAPORE: Deepavali this year will now be on 2 November.
The Hindu Advisory Board (HAB) advised that Deepavali will fall on 2 November (Saturday) instead of 3 November 2013 (Sunday).
The Ministry of Manpower said since Deepavali is no longer on 3 November, 4 November will not be a public holiday.
Instead, 2 November will be gazetted as a public holiday.
MOM has also released the dates for 2014’s public holidays which is available on MOM's website.
- CNA/ck
- wong chee tat :)
Monday, November 26, 2012
US breaks US$1b for first time in online Black Friday shopping
US breaks US$1b for first time in online Black Friday shopping
Posted: 26 November 2012 1034 hrs
NEW YORK: US shoppers spent heavily online on the crucial Black Friday shopping day, for the first time topping a billion dollars in online sales in a single day, analysts and retailers said.
The four-day Thanksgiving holiday weekend is the kickoff to the US holiday shopping season, and Black Friday has long been considered the critical day that turns retailers' books from red to black.
Consumer spending makes up more than two thirds of US economic activity. So the short but busiest consumer sales season has a huge importance to the US economy for the whole year.
This year, online shoppers spent a grand total of US$1.042 billion on Friday, surpassing last year's Black Friday haul by 26 per cent, according to the consulting firm Comscore.
Another study by IBM Benchmark Digital Analytics saw an increase of 21 per cent in Internet sales, with a surge in orders of mobile devices and tablet computers, in particular.
But the new record might be short-lived.
Coming next is "CyberMonday," the day Americans go back to work and online retailers launch heavy promotions to reel in more shoppers.
"According to norms we've observed over the past three years," retail analyst ShopperTrak said, the Monday after Thanksgiving "should be the heaviest online shopping day of the season with sales approaching US$1.5 billion or even higher."
Across the four-day weekend, US shoppers spent US$59.1 billion, a jump of 13 per cent over the previous year, the National Retail Federation announced.
"It's phenomenal," NRF director Mathew Shay told reporters at a press conference, saying the numbers bode well for the holiday season despite the still-struggling economy.
American consumers spent an average of US$423 this weekend, compared to US$398 last year, the group reported.
However, the NRF did not revise its prediction for the US holiday shopping season as a whole, keeping it at a 4.1 per cent increase year on year, arguing that consumers remain cautious about the economy.
The looming threat of the "fiscal cliff," which could send taxes soaring if Republicans and Democrats do not reach a compromise on reducing the deficit before the end of the year, also had the retailers worried.
And despite the good numbers overall, sales at brick-and-mortar locations were sluggish on "Black Friday:" in-store traffic increased by 3.5 per cent on Friday with more than 307 million visitors, but total sales actually went down compared to the previous year by 1.8 per cent, according to ShopperTrak.
Some of the biggest numbers went to the stores that opened early on the Thanksgiving holiday itself -- a growing trend, especially among large chain stores, that is turning the traditionally family-based holiday into a commercial event.
"Opening on Thanksgiving was a big win," the NRF's Shay said, noting that 35 million people went shopping, a 40 per cent surge over the previous year.
Comscore also noted a jump in online Thanksgiving day sales, up 32 per cent over 2011, with US$633 million in sales, though the IMB Benchmark Digital Analytics survey saw a more modest gain of 17.4 per cent.
But ShopperTrak noted that the Thanksgiving day shopping may have undercut spending usually meant for Friday, without increasing the overall numbers.
- AFP/ck
- wong chee tat :)
Posted: 26 November 2012 1034 hrs
NEW YORK: US shoppers spent heavily online on the crucial Black Friday shopping day, for the first time topping a billion dollars in online sales in a single day, analysts and retailers said.
The four-day Thanksgiving holiday weekend is the kickoff to the US holiday shopping season, and Black Friday has long been considered the critical day that turns retailers' books from red to black.
Consumer spending makes up more than two thirds of US economic activity. So the short but busiest consumer sales season has a huge importance to the US economy for the whole year.
This year, online shoppers spent a grand total of US$1.042 billion on Friday, surpassing last year's Black Friday haul by 26 per cent, according to the consulting firm Comscore.
Another study by IBM Benchmark Digital Analytics saw an increase of 21 per cent in Internet sales, with a surge in orders of mobile devices and tablet computers, in particular.
But the new record might be short-lived.
Coming next is "CyberMonday," the day Americans go back to work and online retailers launch heavy promotions to reel in more shoppers.
"According to norms we've observed over the past three years," retail analyst ShopperTrak said, the Monday after Thanksgiving "should be the heaviest online shopping day of the season with sales approaching US$1.5 billion or even higher."
Across the four-day weekend, US shoppers spent US$59.1 billion, a jump of 13 per cent over the previous year, the National Retail Federation announced.
"It's phenomenal," NRF director Mathew Shay told reporters at a press conference, saying the numbers bode well for the holiday season despite the still-struggling economy.
American consumers spent an average of US$423 this weekend, compared to US$398 last year, the group reported.
However, the NRF did not revise its prediction for the US holiday shopping season as a whole, keeping it at a 4.1 per cent increase year on year, arguing that consumers remain cautious about the economy.
The looming threat of the "fiscal cliff," which could send taxes soaring if Republicans and Democrats do not reach a compromise on reducing the deficit before the end of the year, also had the retailers worried.
And despite the good numbers overall, sales at brick-and-mortar locations were sluggish on "Black Friday:" in-store traffic increased by 3.5 per cent on Friday with more than 307 million visitors, but total sales actually went down compared to the previous year by 1.8 per cent, according to ShopperTrak.
Some of the biggest numbers went to the stores that opened early on the Thanksgiving holiday itself -- a growing trend, especially among large chain stores, that is turning the traditionally family-based holiday into a commercial event.
"Opening on Thanksgiving was a big win," the NRF's Shay said, noting that 35 million people went shopping, a 40 per cent surge over the previous year.
Comscore also noted a jump in online Thanksgiving day sales, up 32 per cent over 2011, with US$633 million in sales, though the IMB Benchmark Digital Analytics survey saw a more modest gain of 17.4 per cent.
But ShopperTrak noted that the Thanksgiving day shopping may have undercut spending usually meant for Friday, without increasing the overall numbers.
- AFP/ck
- wong chee tat :)
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Half of Singaporeans find bosses unsupportive of vacation time: poll
Half of Singaporeans find bosses unsupportive of vacation time: poll
Posted: 19 November 2012 1816 hrs
SINGAPORE: Almost half of Singaporeans say their bosses are unsupportive of vacation time, revealed the 2012 Vacation Deprivation Study conducted by online travel company Expedia.
The annual study did an online poll with 8,500 employees across 22 countries between September 13 and October 12, including countries such as Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, US, UK, France, Australia, Japan, South Korea and India.
Latest results from the study showed 'pressure from superiors' as one of the biggest contributing factors to Singaporeans failing to clear all of their annual leave.
The study also revealed that 80 per cent of its Singapore respondents checked on work matters while on holiday, while 41 per cent have postponed vacations for work.
Worryingly, 11 per cent of Singaporeans surveyed indicated that 'work is life' for them and 14 per cent were under the impression that taking a vacation would trigger negative sentiments in the workplace.
"With the widespread global connectivity we enjoy nowadays, it is not at all surprising that Singaporeans are finding it difficult to detach themselves from work. Furthermore, there might also be a decrease in perceptions of job security that has Singaporeans put in the extra hours at work, even when away on holiday," explained Dan Lynn, CEO, AirAsiaExpedia.
Although bosses came out top in Singaporean's vacation woes, the survey also found that the inability to coordinate with family also ranked high on Singaporeans' list of vacation impediments at 32 per cent, followed by lack of planning at 21 per cent.
16 per cent also cited financial considerations as a deterrent when planning for a getaway, up 3 per cent from 2011.
Internationally, the study showed that Asia was the world's most vacation-deprived region, with employees continuing to take the fewest days off and work the longest weeks.
Japanese and Koreans workers trail the field with the average Japanese worker taking only five out of the 13 days off granted each year and South Koreans taking seven out of a possible 10 vacation days.
In contrast, workers in France, Spain, and Brazil report taking their full 30 vacation days off, while Germans take 28 of a possible 30 days off, and British, Norwegian and Swedish workers taking all 25 days they are given.
Employees in Asia also work the longest weeks with Korean, Singaporean and Taiwanese workers clocking in a staggering average of 44 hours a week.
The Dutch work only 35 hours a week, the fewest among the 22 nations surveyed.
The study also showed that an average of 50 per cent of respondents in Asia were unsure if their bosses were supportive of them taking time off, with 59 per cent of Koreans and 54 per cent of Taiwanese citing their head honchos as an obstacle to taking a holiday,
At 24 per cent, employees in India are the luckiest workers in the region when it comes to receiving positive affirmation from their bosses for taking days off.
- CNA/jc
- wong chee tat :)
Posted: 19 November 2012 1816 hrs
SINGAPORE: Almost half of Singaporeans say their bosses are unsupportive of vacation time, revealed the 2012 Vacation Deprivation Study conducted by online travel company Expedia.
The annual study did an online poll with 8,500 employees across 22 countries between September 13 and October 12, including countries such as Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, US, UK, France, Australia, Japan, South Korea and India.
Latest results from the study showed 'pressure from superiors' as one of the biggest contributing factors to Singaporeans failing to clear all of their annual leave.
The study also revealed that 80 per cent of its Singapore respondents checked on work matters while on holiday, while 41 per cent have postponed vacations for work.
Worryingly, 11 per cent of Singaporeans surveyed indicated that 'work is life' for them and 14 per cent were under the impression that taking a vacation would trigger negative sentiments in the workplace.
"With the widespread global connectivity we enjoy nowadays, it is not at all surprising that Singaporeans are finding it difficult to detach themselves from work. Furthermore, there might also be a decrease in perceptions of job security that has Singaporeans put in the extra hours at work, even when away on holiday," explained Dan Lynn, CEO, AirAsiaExpedia.
Although bosses came out top in Singaporean's vacation woes, the survey also found that the inability to coordinate with family also ranked high on Singaporeans' list of vacation impediments at 32 per cent, followed by lack of planning at 21 per cent.
16 per cent also cited financial considerations as a deterrent when planning for a getaway, up 3 per cent from 2011.
Internationally, the study showed that Asia was the world's most vacation-deprived region, with employees continuing to take the fewest days off and work the longest weeks.
Japanese and Koreans workers trail the field with the average Japanese worker taking only five out of the 13 days off granted each year and South Koreans taking seven out of a possible 10 vacation days.
In contrast, workers in France, Spain, and Brazil report taking their full 30 vacation days off, while Germans take 28 of a possible 30 days off, and British, Norwegian and Swedish workers taking all 25 days they are given.
Employees in Asia also work the longest weeks with Korean, Singaporean and Taiwanese workers clocking in a staggering average of 44 hours a week.
The Dutch work only 35 hours a week, the fewest among the 22 nations surveyed.
The study also showed that an average of 50 per cent of respondents in Asia were unsure if their bosses were supportive of them taking time off, with 59 per cent of Koreans and 54 per cent of Taiwanese citing their head honchos as an obstacle to taking a holiday,
At 24 per cent, employees in India are the luckiest workers in the region when it comes to receiving positive affirmation from their bosses for taking days off.
- CNA/jc
- wong chee tat :)
Malaysians among the world’s top workaholics, says survey
Tuesday November 20, 2012
Malaysians among the world’s top workaholics, says survey
By P. ARUNA
aruna@thestar.com.my
PETALING JAYA: Malaysians are proving to be among the world's biggest workaholics, with almost 90% of the workforce working even when they are on holiday.
According to Expedia's 2012 Vacation Deprivation Survey, Malaysia has the world's fourth most dedicated workforce, after India, Brazil and Italy, with employees who can't seem to “let go” of their work during vacations.
Conducted based on 8,000 employed adults from 22 countries throughout the globe, the survey also revealed that Malaysians spent about 40 hours a week at work but received only an average of 14 days of annual leave, among the lowest in the world.
The survey, by the online travel website, also found that despite the limited number of days, Malaysians, on average, did not use about 7% of their leave.
The main reasons cited by respondents for not using up their leave include the option of carrying-forward their leave to the next calendar year, and being unable to coordinate travel dates with their travel partners.
A shocking 40% of the respondents said they were reluctant to go on vacation because they feared their bosses would not be happy about it.
About 15% were worried that going on holiday would reflect negatively on their careers.
“It is worrying that so many Malaysians feel guilty about going on holiday.
“Studies have shown that employees who take regular breaks to revitalise their minds and bodies are often more productive and effective in the workplace,” said AirAsia Expedia CEO Dan Lynn in a statement yesterday.
The survey found that respondents in most developed nations had cited financial constraints as the main reason for not going on vacation.
Among Malaysians, however, only 9% of the respondents said they would sacrifice a holiday due to limited funds.
Asia proved to be the world's most “vacation-deprived” region, with Asians taking the lowest number of holidays and clocking-in the most number of hours each week.
Europeans, on the other hand, have between 25 and 30 days of leave each year, without taking into account state and religious holidays.
British, Norwegian and Swedish workers said they utilised all 25 days given to them.
The Dutch, on the other hand, work only 35 hours a week, the lowest among the 22 countries surveyed.
- wong chee tat :)
Malaysians among the world’s top workaholics, says survey
By P. ARUNA
aruna@thestar.com.my
PETALING JAYA: Malaysians are proving to be among the world's biggest workaholics, with almost 90% of the workforce working even when they are on holiday.
According to Expedia's 2012 Vacation Deprivation Survey, Malaysia has the world's fourth most dedicated workforce, after India, Brazil and Italy, with employees who can't seem to “let go” of their work during vacations.
Conducted based on 8,000 employed adults from 22 countries throughout the globe, the survey also revealed that Malaysians spent about 40 hours a week at work but received only an average of 14 days of annual leave, among the lowest in the world.
The survey, by the online travel website, also found that despite the limited number of days, Malaysians, on average, did not use about 7% of their leave.
The main reasons cited by respondents for not using up their leave include the option of carrying-forward their leave to the next calendar year, and being unable to coordinate travel dates with their travel partners.
A shocking 40% of the respondents said they were reluctant to go on vacation because they feared their bosses would not be happy about it.
About 15% were worried that going on holiday would reflect negatively on their careers.
“It is worrying that so many Malaysians feel guilty about going on holiday.
“Studies have shown that employees who take regular breaks to revitalise their minds and bodies are often more productive and effective in the workplace,” said AirAsia Expedia CEO Dan Lynn in a statement yesterday.
The survey found that respondents in most developed nations had cited financial constraints as the main reason for not going on vacation.
Among Malaysians, however, only 9% of the respondents said they would sacrifice a holiday due to limited funds.
Asia proved to be the world's most “vacation-deprived” region, with Asians taking the lowest number of holidays and clocking-in the most number of hours each week.
Europeans, on the other hand, have between 25 and 30 days of leave each year, without taking into account state and religious holidays.
British, Norwegian and Swedish workers said they utilised all 25 days given to them.
The Dutch, on the other hand, work only 35 hours a week, the lowest among the 22 countries surveyed.
- wong chee tat :)
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