Extending Mandatory Time-frame for When Government-Paid Paternity Leave can be Consumed to 24 Months

3 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Prime Minister whether the Government will consider increasing the period during which Government-Paid Paternity Leave may be consumed from within 12 months of childbirth to within 24 months of childbirth.

The Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Home Affairs (Mrs Josephine Teo) (for the Prime Minister): Mr Speaker, fathers play an important role in their children's care and development. For this reason, we have progressively increased parental leave provisions to support fathers in caring for their children. Today, fathers can tap on up to eight weeks of leave in the year after their child's birth, including two weeks of paternity leave and four weeks of shared parental leave.

Similar to maternity leave, paternity leave should be consumed within 12 months of childbirth, as it is meant to support working fathers in caring for their infants when they are younger and in need of more care. For this reason, we have no plans to extend it to 24 months of childbirth. This is also in line with international practice where parents are typically required to consume maternity and paternity leave within a few months or up to a year after the child's birth. This is the practice in many countries such as Denmark, United Kingdom and South Korea.

After the child turns one, parents can continue to tap on other forms of leave support. This includes six days of unpaid infant care leave per parent per year until the child turns two, on top of six days of paid childcare leave, which each parent can take annually until the child turns seven. Together with tripartite partners, we also encourage employers to provide up to four weeks of unpaid leave per year if their employees have children below two years old who need more care, for example, due to medical conditions. This is a provision under the Tripartite Standard on Unpaid Leave for Unexpected Care Needs, which I must thank the Member Mr Louis Ng for helping to bring about.

Beyond leave provisions, the Government will continue to work with employers to better support parents in managing their work and family responsibilities. This includes promoting the adoption of flexible work arrangements and encouraging more family-friendly practices at workplaces.

Mr Speaker: Mr Louis Ng.

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Thank you, Sir. I thank the Minister for the reply. I think what was shocking for me was that in 2018, 65% of fathers in Singapore did not even take one day of paternity leave. I am just wondering whether the Ministry is looking into this further, whether we are looking at Denmark, UK and South Korea – the three countries that the Minister mentioned – what is the take-up rates of paternity leave there and what are they doing that can help increase our take-up of paternity leave.

The second clarification is a suggestion, actually. I understand the default arrangement now is that the fathers have to take their paternity leave within 16 weeks of child birth and he has to take it in a two-week continuous block. For any other arrangement, they would need the employers' consent. I am just wondering whether we can make the default arrangement that the fathers can take it anytime within the 12 months of child birth and they do not need to take it in a continuous block. Maybe then, there will be an increase in the number of fathers taking up the paternity leave.

Mrs Josephine Teo: Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for his supplementary questions. The figure of 65%, if I recall correctly, is within a certain period of reporting. What happens is that you need the employers to have submitted the claims in order for the true picture to emerge. So, usually, fathers have one year after the child's birth to take leave and employers have three months after the fathers take leave to submit the claims. So, I would take that 65% in context.

The Member asked about the experience in other countries. It is actually very interesting. I still recall visiting Denmark, one of the Nordic countries that is very well-known for its family-friendly policies as well as, overall, very strong support for parenthood. If my memory serves me right, I was myself, quite surprised that their paternity leave utilisation was just about 70%, not higher than that. So, I asked my counterpart to explain to me why this was so. I recall quite distinctly being told that even in a country like Denmark, there are certain sectors, where it is just not considered at the workplace to be very acceptable for the man to go on paternity leave. That is the reason why, even for them, the paternity leave is not closer to 100%.

It is quite the case for also a country like South Korea. Paternity leave utilisation is around 3%, very low.

What these countries experiences suggest to us is that workplace norms, how accepting the co-workers are and also the employers are, for paternity leave utilisation, that is still something that is being worked on.

In the Singapore context, actually we have been making very good progress. Today, the paternity leave utilisation is about 53%, that is not too bad. Within the public sector, the utilisation rate is even higher, about 84%. So, within the public sector, the utilisation already surpasses some of the Nordic countries.

What can we do? I think a change of norms, which is something I see happening to a very large extent. You see very many more fathers are involved in the raising of their children. Can we encourage employers to be even more supportive? I think the answer is yes.

If I may just make an observation. This is, I think the fifth time you have asked the question about paternity leave in as many months. So, we are happy to answer your slightly different questions. I hope that you are equally happy with our slightly different answers. During the COS, where we get a chance to deal with marriage and parenthood in a more comprehensive manner, I think we can have a fuller exchange. So, I seek the Member's indulgence for us to take the rest of your questions together in the COS.

Mr Speaker: Order. End of question time.