Singapore – Parental and Shared Parental Leave Change
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The prime minister of Singapore announced several planned legislative changes to family leave entitlements during the 2024 National Day Rally. The changes will introduce increased parental and shared parental leave entitlements under the Children Development Co-Savings Act (CDCA). The changes will be phased in two phases, with Phase 1 commencing on 1 April 2025 and Phase 2 on 1 April 2026.
Government Paid Parental Leave (GPPL)
Currently, eligible working fathers are entitled to 2 weeks of Government Paid Parental Leave (GPPL) and may take an additional 2 weeks of GPPL, if their employers allow them to do so. Employers who grant the additional paternity leave on a voluntary basis will be reimbursed by the Government.
From 1 April 2025, the additional 2 weeks of voluntary GPPL will be mandatory. Eligible working fathers with Singapore citizen children born on or after 1 April 2025 will be entitled to 4 weeks of GPPL.
Shared Parental Leave
As per the CDCA, mothers are currently allowed to transfer only 4 of their 16 weeks of government-paid maternity leave (GPML) to the father.
From 1 April 2025, the current shared parental leave scheme will cease and be replaced with a new scheme. The new scheme comprises 10 weeks of paid parental leave, shared between both parents. It will be implemented in two phases:
- From 1 April 2025: 6 weeks of shared parental leave
- From 1 April 2026: 10 weeks of shared parental leave
The 10 weeks of leave is provided on top of GPML and GPPL entitlements.
Key Features of the New SPL Scheme
- Leave Consumption: SPL must be utilized within the first 12 months of the child’s birth. Parents should discuss and agree upon the leave arrangement with their employers. If no agreement is reached, SPL can be taken in a continuous block (following GPML or GPPL)within the first 26 weeks of the child’s birth.
- Leave Distribution: By default, SPL will be equally divided between both parents: 3 weeks each for babies born between 1 Apr 2025 and 31 Mar 2026, and 5 weeks each for babies born from 1 Apr 2026 onwards. Any changes to the leave-sharing arrangement should be made within four weeks after the child’s birth. Changes after this period require mutual agreement between parents and employers.
- Government Payment: All weeks of SPL will be government-paid, capped at S$2,500 per week (approximately S$10,000 per month).
For more information on the new shared parental leave and parental leave, refer to the booklet.
Please contact your Mercans’ services delivery team for any additional information regarding the implications of the above change.
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Singapore – Parental and Shared Parental Leave Change – 1 April 2025 and 1 April 20262.37 MB