SINGAPORE: A new shared parental leave scheme will give parents in Singapore 10 additional weeks of paid leave when fully implemented on Apr 1, 2026.
Announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during the National Day Rally on Sunday (Aug 18), the scheme is part of the government’s efforts to give parents more time to care for their babies.
Here’s what you need to know.
WHAT’S THE SCHEME ABOUT?
The 10 weeks will be entirely paid for by the government, up to a cap of S$2,500 per week (up to ~S$10,000 a month).
It’s on top of government-paid maternity and paternity leave entitlements.
It replaces an existing shared leave scheme, which allows a working mother to share with her husband up to four out of her 16 weeks of government-paid maternity leave. This will cease from Apr 1, 2025.
The new scheme will be rolled out in phases to manage the impact on employers, and give them time to adjust their operational and manpower arrangements.
When fully implemented on Apr 1, 2026, it will bring total paid leave to 30 weeks or 7.5 months, up from the current 20 weeks.
