Application for Government Paid Childcare Leave Scheme Broken Down by Gender of Employees

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Social and Family Development for each year in the past five years under the Government-Paid Childcare Leave (GPCL) Scheme, what is the median number of days of childcare leave taken per year by (i) female employees and (ii) male employees respectively.

Employees with Singapore Citizen children below seven years of age are entitled to six days of paid childcare leave per year under the Government-Paid Childcare Leave Scheme. Employers are responsible for the first three days of leave, while the Government reimburses employers for the fourth to sixth day of leave taken.

Employers are not required to submit information on employees who take only one to three days of leave, to avoid burdening employers and employees with excessive data submission. Hence, we only have information when leave is consumed beyond the third day.

From 2016 to 2019, the median number of days of leave taken by male and female employees has been the same, and it is six days. This is based on employees who consumed more than three days of childcare leave and where employers submitted claims.