SINGAPORE - Workers in Singapore who intend to go on short vacations during long weekends in 2018 might want to shelve those plans.

Only four out of the 11 public holiday dates for 2018 will fall on a Friday or Monday. None will fall on a Sunday next year.

The four are: New Year's Day, the first day of the Chinese New Year, Good Friday and Hari Raya Puasa. These dates were released by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on Wednesday (April 5).

This is a drop compared to the seven long weekends that workers here had in 2015 and will also enjoy this year. In 2016, the number was slightly lower at six.

When public holidays fall on a Sunday, it means the next day is a day off.

However, workers could potentially get five more long weekends, if they take leave on some Mondays and Fridays.

Labour Day, Vesak Day, Deepavali, and Christmas Day all fall on Tuesdays, meaning those who take leave on the Monday before these public holidays can enjoy a four-day long weekend.

National Day falls on a Thursday, so employees who take leave on Aug 10, 2018 - the day after the public holiday - will also enjoy a four-day break.

Under the Employment Act, if a public holiday falls on a Saturday, an employee who is not required to work on a Saturday is also entitled to another day off or an extra day's salary in lieu of that public holiday.

Also, an employee who is required to work on a public holiday is entitled to an extra day's salary at the basic rate of pay.

Alternatively, the employer and employee may mutually agree to substitute a public holiday for another working day.