The extended leave that parents will soon get will foster deep connections with their newborn, said an analyst on Friday (March 28). 

With the first phase of a new scheme to begin on April 1, eligible working parents will have six weeks of shared parental leave.

The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) said on Thursday (March 27) that this will apply to those with Singaporean children born on or after April 1.

Under the shared parental leave scheme, eligible fathers will also be entitled to four weeks of mandatory government-paid paternity leave.

Dr Mathew Mathews, head of the Social Lab and principal research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, told AsiaOne that the two weeks of paid paternity leave that fathers currently get "resembles a short vacation from work". 

"A month off allows fathers— and businesses—to fully disconnect from work," he said, adding that it is a genuine opportunity for them to immerse into caregiving. 

"This extended leave not only fosters deeper connections with their newborn but also reinforces their vital role in parenting." 

The second phase of the scheme from April 1, 2026, will see eligible parents of Singaporean children born on or after that date receive 10 weeks of shared parental leave.

With these enhancements, such couples will be entitled to 30 weeks of paid parental leave in the child's first year, including 16 weeks of government-paid maternity leave.

The shared leave is to be taken within 12 months of the child's birth, and employees must inform employers at least four weeks before going on leave in a continuous block.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong first announced these parental leave enhancements at his National Day Rally speech last August.

Speaking to AsiaOne then, several parents welcomed the scheme which they said provides more support to them by allowing flexibility in taking care of their children.

Members of Parliament spoke about amendments to Child Development Co-Savings Act at a parliamentary debate on Nov 13, 2024.

While they welcomed the Bill, they brought up the need to encourage parents to use these leave entitlements and the importance of flexible work arrangements, among other matters.

MSF said that the scheme "underscores the Government's commitment to provide stronger caregiving support" to parents in the early stages of their child's life.

"The shared parental leave also promotes shared parental responsibility and enables fathers to take an active role in caring for their children," it added.

Besides fathers, Dr Matthews said that the share parental leave also benefits the entire family as it supports their spouses to return to their career aspirations,

"It will also give greater confidence to mothers that their spouses are committed to co-parenting," he said. "This ultimately creates a more equitable household dynamic that ultimately strengthens family relationships." 

How to apply

MSF said that parents have the flexibility to decide on how distribute the shared parental leave. 

By default, the entitlement is three weeks and five weeks for each parent for phase one and two respectively. 

Parents can then update their preferred leave arrangement when registering their child's birth of the LifeSG website, and can make further changes up to four weeks after their child's birth. 

Parents who would like to make further changes must reach a mutual agreement with their employers and submit supporting documents on the LifeSG website.

Self-employed parents can submit their reimbursement claims for loss of business revenue no later than three months after the last day of their shared parental leave via the same portal.

chingshijie@asiaone.com

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