To foster pro-family ties in Singapore, the government introduced mandatory Government-Paid Paternity Leave (GPPL) in 2013. While only 1 in 4 working fathers took it up back then, more than half of working fathers are using Paternity Leave to care for their babies today.
During the Singapore Budget 2023, the number of Government-Paid Paternity Leaves was raised from 2 weeks to 4 weeks. Fathers of Singaporean children born on or after 1 January 2024 can take up to 4 weeks of Paternity Leave. For companies, this comprises 2 weeks mandatory Paternity Leave and another 2 weeks of Paternity Leave on a voluntary basis – and the entire Paternity Leave will be paid for by the Government.
In Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s first National Day Rally speech on 18 August 2024, he made the additional 2 weeks of Paternity Leave mandatory for children born on or after 1 April 2025.
This allows fathers to play a bigger role in raising their children as they are able to spend more time and strengthen their bonds with their children and wives.
Fathers Can Take Up To 10 Weeks Of Shared Parental Leave
While working mothers are eligible for 16 weeks of government-paid maternity leave, working fathers have less – and understandably so.
Currently, fathers can take up to 8 weeks of leave to care for their new-born child. This will consist of up to 4 weeks of government-paid paternity leave and 4 weeks of shared parental leave – which allows them to share up to 4 weeks of Maternity Leave with their wives’ agreement. However, working moms will have to sacrifice this time-off from their 16-week Maternity Leave.
PM Lawrence Wong also replaced the Shared Parental Leave scheme during his inaugural National Day Rally 2024 speech. From 1 April 2025, there will be an additional 6 weeks of Shared Parental Leave that either fathers or mothers can take – and will not impact their own 16-week Maternity Leave or 4-week Paternity Leave.
From 1 April 2026, this will increase to 10 weeks of Shared Parental Leave that working mothers and fathers can share between them.
On top of this, working fathers are also eligible for about 1 week of Government-Paid Childcare Leave (GPCL), and 2 weeks of Unpaid Infant Care Leave, each year.
Read Also: Guide To Understanding How Shared Parental Leave Works In Singapore
#1 Who Is Eligible For Government-Paid Paternity Leave (GPPL) Benefits?
To qualify for government-paid paternity leave (GPPL) as a working father, you must be lawfully married to the child’s mother between conception and birth. You must also show that you have either worked for at least 3 continuous months with your employer before the birth of your child or, if you’re self-employed, that you have engaged in your work for 3 continuous months before the birth of the child and have lost income during the paternity leave period.
You may also qualify as an adoptive father for paternity leave for the birth of the child, provided you fulfill the employment conditions as stated above.
When The Child Is A Singapore Citizen
The working father is entitled to the Government-Paid Paternity Leave regardless of their citizenship status (ie: Singapore citizen, foreigner, or permanent resident) as long as the child IS a Singapore citizen at birth or becomes one within 12 months of birth.
When The Child Is Not A Singapore Citizen
If the child is NOT a Singapore citizen, then the working father is not eligible for Government-Paid Paternity Leave. This applies even if the father is a Singaporean. Parents of a non-citizen child can apply for up to 2 days of Childcare Leave in accordance with Singapore’s Employment Act.
Employers are encouraged to adopt family-friendly measures for employees who are both citizens and non-citizens or Permanent Residents (PRs). Providing crucial Paternity Leave and Childcare Leave can help employees contribute more effectively and position the company as a choice employer.
#2 How Many Days Of Paternity Leave Do Working Fathers Get?
For children born in 2024, eligible working fathers will get up to 2 weeks of mandatory Government-Paid Paternity Leave and up to 2 weeks of paternity leave on a voluntary basis.
For children born on or after 1 April 2025, eligible working fathers will get 4 weeks of mandatory Government-Paid Paternity Leave.
The GPPL entitlement is dependent on the father’s number of working days in a week. For example, if you have 5 work days in a week, then you will get up to 10 days of GPPL. This is capped at 6 working days per week, or a total of 12 working days. If you choose to take the entire 4 weeks of paternity leave, it translates to 20 days (for those with a 5-day workweek) and 24 days (for those with a 6-day workweek).
Fathers can consume their GPPL either as a continuous block within the first 16 weeks or, if there’s an agreement with the company, it can also be consumed non-continuously within 12 months from the child’s date of birth.
Read Also: Complete Guide To Understanding Annual Leave Entitlements In Singapore
#3 Are Short-Term Contract Employees Entitled To Government-Paid Paternity Leave (GPPL)?
Whether employees are a fixed-term contractor, temporary employee or part-time employee, they are eligible for Government-Paid Paternity Leave.
However, Paternity Leave entitlement will depend on the number of hours that the employee work in a week. For example, if an employee works 15 hours a week, they would be entitled to up to 30 hours of GPPL, or 2 weeks’ worth of paternity leave. For fathers with children born in 2024, they would be entitled up to 60 hours of GPPL.
Read Also: Part-Time Employment Regulations: 10 Things To Know When Hiring A Part-Timer
#4 Can Working Mothers Share Their Maternity Leave Benefits With Working Fathers?
From 1 April 2025, this scheme will be revamped, and working mothers will no longer have to sacrifice part of their Maternity Leave under the Shared Parental Leave scheme.
For now, working mothers can share a minimum of one week and up to four weeks of their maternity leave with working fathers starting from the date of the child’s birth under the Government-Paid Shared Parental Leave (SPL) scheme.
The working father, who must be legally married to the working mother, can take his leave either in one continuous block or take it flexibly as agreed between the employer and employee.
The government will provide reimbursement for all 4 weeks of SPL taken at a capped rate of up to $2,500 per week.
#5 How Much Can Companies Claim For Government-Paid Paternity Leave (GPPL) Taken By An Employee?
The government will reimburse employers for all 4 weeks of the employee’s Paternity Leave, capped at $2,500 per week, for a total of $20,000.
Employers must obtain the declaration form (GPPL1) and the supporting documents from their employees to verify their eligibility. Thereafter, these records must be kept for 5 years from the last leave date taken by the employee for audit purposes.
Employers may use the government-paid leave (GPL) Portal to claim the reimbursement. However, they must do so no later than 3 months from the last date the employee took their GPPL.
#6 Working Fathers Can Also Take Paid Childcare Leave
In addition to the paternity leave, working fathers are also entitled to Government-Paid Childcare Leave (GPCL) of 6 days provided that their youngest Singapore-citizen child is below 7 years old.
The first 3 days of the childcare leave are paid for by the company, and the remaining 3 days will be paid by the Government with a cap of $500 per day, inclusive of CPF contributions.
Working fathers of a non-citizen child can only take up to 2 days of paid childcare leave in a year under Singapore’s Employment Act.
Read Also: 10 Things Employers Need To Know About The Government Paid Childcare Leave (GPCL)
#7 Conditions When Working Fathers Can Take Unpaid Leave
As a working father, in addition to the paid leave, you are also entitled to 12 days of unpaid infant care leave in a year from 2024. This only applies if you have worked for 3 continuous months with your employer and your Singapore citizen child is under 2 years of age.
Separately, employers who adopt the Tripartite Standard for Unpaid Leave for Unexpected Care Needs must inform their employees of the types of unpaid leave that are available to support their unexpected care needs.
For example, an employee may be granted up to 4 weeks of unpaid leave per year if their child is below the age of 2 and is born preterm, has congenital conditions, or has any medical conditions.
Read Also: 17 Types of Leaves Offered By Singapore Companies (Statutory And Non-Statutory)
This article was first published on 12 May 2022 and has been updated with the latest information.
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