SINGAPORE: Starting April 1, eligible Singaporean working parents of children born on or after April 1, 2025, can share up to six weeks of Shared Parental Leave (SPL), the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) said on Thursday (March 27). However, this prompted one father on social media to ask, “Why not seven years ago?”
The new SPL scheme will be rolled out in two phases to allow employers time to adjust their manpower and operational arrangements. An additional two weeks of mandatory Government-Paid Paternity Leave (GPPL) will also take effect on the same day.
The second phase of the new SPL scheme will allow Singaporean working parents to share 10 weeks of SPL starting Apr 1, 2026, giving couples a total of 30 weeks of paid parental leave in the child’s first year.
The updated scheme aims to provide stronger caregiving support to parents during their child’s infancy stage, when their care needs are greatest, and to promote shared parental responsibility, enabling fathers to take an active role in caring for their children, the ministry said.
SPL should be consumed within 12 months of the child’s birth and only after fully using the GPPL. Parents should also inform their employers about their SPL plans as early as possible when they are expecting a child to provide both parties time to discuss and agree on the necessary covering arrangements.
If no agreement is reached, parents can take SPL in a continuous block within 26 weeks of the child’s birth after giving at least four weeks’ notice.
Others on social media wondered if this was an April Fool’s joke, while one jokingly remarked, “So those due on 31st March will have to endure till the clock strikes 12 midnight.” Meanwhile, some expressed concern, asking, “Who is going to do all the jobs in the office? Unfair to other workers,” while another chimed in, “How about self-care and elder care leave?”
Parents and employers can find more details in the implementation guides at go.gov.sg/splguide-parents and go.gov.sg/splguide-employers. /TISG
Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)