The government will not bring forward the start date of Apr. 1, 2025 for the new shared parental leave scheme, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah.
Rajah shared in parliament on Sep. 10 that the start date is to "strike a balance" between giving employers sufficient time to make the necessary adjustments and allowing parents to benefit from the enhancements as soon as possible.
Rajah was responding on behalf of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to questions about the new scheme from Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC MP Hany Soh and Tampines GRC MP Desmond Choo.
The Shared Parental Leave (SPL) scheme, which grants 10 weeks of parental leave to be shared between both parents, was announced at PM Wong's maiden National Day Rally on Aug. 18.
PM Wong also announced that the government would double the amount of government-paid paternity leave from two weeks to four weeks.
'Employers requested for longer lead time to prepare': Indranee Rajah
Soh asked why the SPL scheme was starting on Apr. 1, 2025, and whether the government would consider bringing forward the start date to 2024.
Rajah explained that the implementation date was set after extensive consultation with tripartite partners.
"We had considered implementing the new scheme earlier so that more parents can benefit. However, employers had requested for a longer lead time to prepare for this change, as companies need to update their administrative processes and to put in place new measures to manage their employees' extended absences."
Rajah pointed out that leave sharing requires coordination between parents and employers.
She added that the government needs time to effect various legislative and operational changes.
"We fully understand that parents who miss out on the enhancements could feel disappointed. However, the deferred start date is necessary to ensure that all stakeholders involved are ready to implement the changes."
Rajah shared that webinars will be organised to help employers understand the scheme's operational details and provide more information on existing grants and resources they can use to strengthen their manpower-planning capabilities.
She added that Singapore needs to work together to create a culture that supports fathers playing a greater role in child-raising.
“Our research has shown that utilisation of parental leave is often dependent on workplace support. We will work with tripartite partners to shape workplace norms and culture, including to establish the norm of fathers taking leave to care for and bond with their infants,” Rajah concluded.
Top image from Canva