Amendments to the Child Development Co-Savings Act 2001 have extended the paternity leave and shared parental leave benefits currently enjoyed by qualified parents in Singapore. The extended leave benefits underscore the Singapore government’s commitment to provide stronger caregiving support to parents of infants.
For children with an actual or expected delivery date or formal intent to adopt (FIA) date on or after 1 April 2025, qualified parents are entitled to government-paid paternity leave (GPPL) of 4 weeks and government-paid shared parental leave (SPL) of 6 weeks, to be taken within 12 months of the child’s birth or FIA date. SPL will be extended to 10 weeks for qualified parents of children with an actual or expected delivery date or FIA date on or after 1 April 2026. SPL, which is shared between parents, is granted in addition to government-paid maternity leave (GPML) for qualified mothers.
A qualified father of a child with an actual or expected delivery date or FIA date before 1 April 2025 will continue to enjoy 2 weeks of GPPL and 4 weeks of SPL. However, the SPL is shared from and forms part of the qualified mother’s GPML benefit.
The employer will pay the qualified parent’s corresponding salary during the GPPL and SPL period. The employer can them claim reimbursement from the Singapore government; however, this is capped at SGD 2,500 per week.
The key eligibility requirements for GPPL and SPL are:
A father will only be eligible for shared parental leave if he is/was married to the child’s mother at the child’s conception, at some time between conception and birth, or within 12 months from the child’s date of birth. On the other hand, there is no marriage eligibility criteria applicable to mothers.
Employees must give at least 4 weeks’ notice before taking GPPL or SPL, unless a shorter notice period is agreed with the employer.
By default, each parent gets half of the SPL allocation. This arrangement may be varied by written notice to the Ministry of Social and Family Development. The employer’s consent is not required if variation is sought within 4 weeks of the child’s birth or adoption. Shared parental leave is by default taken in one continuous period within 26 weeks of the child’s birth. However, with the employer’s consent, it may be taken in multiple periods within 12 months of the child’s birth or adoption.
Extending GPPL and SPL highlights Singapore’s vision of supporting parents with their infants. Employers should be aware of the extended GPPL and SPL periods and adjust accordingly to comply with these requirements.
OrionW regularly advises clients on employment matters. For more information about employment regulations in Singapore, or if you have questions about this article, please contact us at info@orionw.com.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice.
