Full List of Paternity and Maternity Leaves You Are Entitled To (Incl. Adoption Leave)

Note: All data presented are referenced from the Ministry of Manpower, Singapore.

Congratulations on your newborn! You’ve come to the right place to fully understand what you are entitled to under the paternity and maternity benefits put in place by the government.

Before we move on, here are the general employee benefits you should be aware of when you work in a company.

Especially with the new developments in PATERNITY rights in Singapore, what exactly are you granted by your company when you start a family?

TL;DR: Paternity, Maternity and Adoption rights you are entitled to

1. Paternity/Maternity Leave
2. Adoption Leave
3. Shared Parental Leave
4. Child Care Leave
5. Unpaid Infant Care Leave

1. Paternity Leave – Government-Paid Paternity Leave (GPPL)

Eligibility

• Your child is a Singapore citizen.
• You are or had been lawfully married to the child’s mother between conception and birth
• For employees: Completed at least 3 months of work before the birth of your child.
• For self-employed: Engaged in your work for a continuous period of at least 3 months before the birth of your child, and would be subject to a loss in income during the paternity leave period

2. Maternity Leave – Government-Paid Maternity Leave (GPML)

Unwed mothers are also entitled to maternity leave.

• 16 weeks of Government-Paid Maternity Leave or
• 12 weeks of maternity leave, depending on whether your child is a Singapore citizen and other criteria here.

3. Adoption Leave

Similar to regular birth, adoptive fathers who meet the following requirements are also entitled to GPPL for all births:

• Your child is a Singapore citizen.
• For employees: Completed at least 3 months of work before the birth of your child.
• For self-employed: Engaged in your work for a continuous period of at least 3 months before the birth of your child, and would be subject to a loss in income during the paternity leave period

4. Shared Parental Leave

Fathers who are lawfully married to the child’s mother:

• Can apply for 4 weeks of paternity leave from the wife’s 16 weeks, subject to her approval

5. Childcare Leave (for children under 7 years old)

• Both parents get 6 days/year until the year your child turns 7 years old
• Capped at 42 days for each parent
• Cannot carry forward childcare leave to the next year

Your leave is paid as follows:

The first 3 days will be paid by your employer.
The remaining 3 days will be paid by the Government.
Payments are capped at $500 per day, including CPF contributions.

Leave protections and obligations

If you fulfil all criteria to be eligible for child-related leaves, but are not granted this time-off or are unexpectedly asked to leave, here’s what you need to know.

An employee’s responsibilities

• Worked for your employer for at least 3 months
• Certified pregnant by a medical practitioner

This will then qualify you for maternity protection.

Your employer’s responsibilities

• Continue to pay an employee’s salary throughout her maternity leave as if she had been working without a break.
• Not ask an employee to work during the first 4 weeks of her confinement.

If your employer terminates your employment without sufficient cause while you are pregnant, or retrenches you during your pregnancy, they must pay the maternity benefits you would have been eligible for.

Have you been wrongfully dismissed? Help is here.

1. Submit an appeal in writing to the Minister for Manpower after the dismissal and within 2 months of the birth of your child.
2. Seek the union’s help (if you are a union member).
3. Seek legal help.

Discussions on maternity/paternity and family planning:

• “What would be the approximate cost of having a child in singapore? My Husband is a PR and I am not…” See More
• “My wife is thinking of quitting her job when we have kids. We have a 25 year $1500/month HDB loan…” See More