Debated in Parliament on 4 Feb 2025.
Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance whether the Ministry will consider implementing the enhanced provisions for Government-paid paternity leave with immediate effect to encourage familial bonding for parents with infants born over the last few months of 2024.
Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether arrangements can be made to implement the new shared parental leave scheme earlier, for parents of children born after the National Day Rally 2024 but before 1 April 2025, in situations where (i) both parents and their respective employers are all mutually agreeable to proceed or (ii) both parents are serving in the public service; and (b) if not possible, why not and what are the reasons and/or technical hurdles.
The additional two weeks of Government-Paid Paternity Leave (GPPL) have been provided on a voluntary basis since 1 January 2024. Fathers whose employers are ready to grant the additional two weeks of leave can already take four weeks of GPPL and their employers will be reimbursed by the Government.
The implementation date of 1 April 2025 for mandating the additional two weeks of GPPL and introducing the new Shared Parental Leave (SPL) scheme was set after extensive consultation with the tripartite partners. It takes into account the need for system and process changes by both the Government and employers and also strikes a balance between giving employers sufficient time to make the necessary adjustments and allowing parents to benefit from both leave enhancements as soon as possible.
Unlike other parental leave provisions, the sharing of leave entitlements is a key feature of the new SPL scheme whereby couples can decide how to allocate the leave entitlement between them based on their caregiving and work arrangements. As such, its implementation is less straightforward, and employers will need to update their administrative processes and human resources systems to prepare for this. A common start date is therefore preferable for parity across all employers, to ensure that all employers, including smaller firms, will be ready to implement the changes on 1 April 2025.
The Government is also developing a centralised system to facilitate the coordination of leave sharing arrangements between parents and employers. Such a system is necessary to ensure the proper tracking of leave records to minimise discrepancies and facilitate reimbursement claims from the Government.
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