In 2022, the take-up rate for paternity leave Singapore stood at 53 percent – the same as prior years– although there are now more adoption and paternity leave claims across the country. But there is still a percentage of fathers who do not get to spend time with their newborns. 

In this article, we will discuss how Government-Paid Paternity Leave (GPPL Singapore) works and additional information on how you can manage paternity leave Singapore to make your workplace intentional about employee well-being and mental health. 

The Ministry of Social and Family Development supports eligible working fathers (including self-employed fathers) to have paternity leave claims. Fathers are also important in caring for their newborn children and this encourages shared parental responsibility.

Do employees get paternity leave Singapore?

In Singapore, paternity leave is available under the Government-Paid Paternity Leave scheme. To qualify, these three criterias must be met:

• Lawfully married to the child’s mother.
• The child must be a Singaporean citizen at birth.
• Must be continuously employed for at least three months before the birth.

Eligible fathers have the right to two weeks of fully paid paternity leave Singapore. This leave should be taken within 12 months from the child’s birth. It is worth noting that from 1 April 2025 onwards, all eligible working fathers will be entitled to 4 weeks of paternity leave Singapore. 

Employers are obligated to provide this leave, and the government reimburses employers for the wages paid out during that period. Employees who are eligible for paternity leave Singapore are asked to provide at least a week’s notice or as early as possible to their employers and may also be asked to provide supporting documents such as the birth certificate of the child.

Is it mandatory for employers to provide GPPL Singapore?

GPPL Singapore is statutory and has to be provided for every eligible employee. All employers in Singapore will need to provide the GPPL to eligible working fathers. The Singaporean government will then reimburse the employer for wages paid for paternity leave up to a certain amount per week.

In this way, fathers are encouraged to take the time to bond with their newborns without putting financial stress upon employers. The mere fact that GPPL is mandatory underlines the commitment of the government to supporting family bonding and the well-being of working parents and children in the early stages of parenthood.

What is the eligibility requirement for paternity leave Singapore?

Here are some criterias that needs to be fulfilled while determining the eligibility for paternity leave Singapore:

• Status of marriage

The father will be expected to be legally married to the child’s mother. This is because it ensures that such time off falls within the recognized setting of a family. 

• Child’s citizenship

The child must be a Singaporean citizen by birth. What this means is that at least one of the parents should be a Singaporean or the child becomes a citizen through other legalities. In this case, when a Singaporean citizen and a foreign national give birth in Singapore and that child becomes a Singaporean citizen, the father can claim paternity leave.

• Employment duration

The father must have been in continuous employment for three months before the birth of his child. This ensures that the father has had an established employment relationship. For example, if an employee has been working with his company for six months before his child is born, he qualifies for paternity leave Singapore. However, if he started his job only a month before the birth, he would not qualify.

In cases where a father is self-employed or his employer does not provide paid paternity leave, the Government Paid Paternity Benefit (GPPB) provides financial support comparable to the GPPL. Eligible fathers are expected to apply directly to the government for this benefit. 

However, they have to meet similar conditions as GPPL Singapore such as: 

• Being legally married to the mother of the child.
• Newborn must be a Singaporean citizen. 

Once approved, they are provided with the GPPB Singapore which is their income equivalent during the period of leave, subject to a cap. 

What is the current entitlement for paternity leave Singapore 2024?

As of 2024, eligible working fathers are entitled to 2 weeks of paternity leave under GPPL Singapore. These two weeks may be taken consecutively or in two separate weeks, in mutual agreement with the employer and employee. 

The leave must be used within 12 months of the child’s birth according to general leave management. In return for this time off, the government reimburses that portion of wages to the employer for that period, up to a cap of SGD2,500 per week or a total of SGD10,000.

However, from 1 April 2025 onwards, the additional two weeks of voluntary GPPL will be made mandatory. Eligible working fathers whose children are born on or after 1 April 2025 will be entitled to four weeks of GPPL.

Also, there is an additional increase in the notice period to four weeks for fathers who would like to take the leave. Working parents with irregular employment arrangements are not left out as short-term contract workers can also enjoy parental leave benefits under the new Shared Parental Leave Benefit (SPB) scheme. Eligible parents will be able to claim reimbursement from the government for time taken off work to care for their newborns. 

How does GPPL Singapore work?

Now that you know all about qualifying for paternity leave Singapore, let’s talk about how it works. 

Application

The application is straightforward, eligible fathers are required to give a notice period of at least to their employers before taking GPPL Singapore or as soon as practicable since there can be cases of birth before the expected dates of delivery. They may be requested to provide additional documents supporting the claim for verification, such as marriage certificates and the child’s birth certificate. 

Approval

The employer will then review the application and documentation provided to ensure that the employee is eligible. Once the conditions are met, approval can be given. Employers (mostly through the Human Resources team) and employees may come to an agreement on the timing and structure of the leave taken.

Payment

During this period of paternity leave Singapore, the employer will continue to pay for the usual wages of the father. The government reimburses such wages to the employer during this period, up to a set cap per week. This relieves the burden on the employer while the father takes time off.

Additional considerations

• Employers can grant additional GPPL on a voluntary basis

Besides the statutory two weeks, employers can voluntarily give more GPPL Singapore. Although this is not reimbursable by the government, this may be granted by companies themselves as part of corporate employee policies and practices for family-friendliness.

• Employers may offer flexible work arrangements

Some employers may provide flexible work arrangements, such as flexible hours or the opportunity to work from home for working fathers, in addition to the basic amount of leave given. This flexibility helps working parents to balance work and family responsibilities more effectively and also signals to the employee that employers care for their wellbeing.

Manage Paternity Leave Singapore Effectively with Omni

Paternity leave Singapore plays a crucial role in supporting working fathers during the childbirth period. Understanding the policies and ensuring compliance is essential for organizations to create a supportive work environment, boosting morale and employee engagement. Addressing these paternity leave Singapore challenges requires HR professionals to invest in modern leave management systems. 

Read next: The 7 Best HR Software Singapore Has to Offer in 2024

Omni’s all-in-one HRIS makes it possible to manage the entire end-to-end employee life cycle in one platform. Our robust time off management capabilities allow HR teams to streamline the management process of paternity leave Singapore.  With customizable leave allowances, employers can set paternity leave criteria based on Singapore standards, company policies, or individual eligibility, simplifying compliance efforts and standardizing benefit allocation for their teams. These automated processes help HR professionals track eligibility, manage paternity leave applications, and ensure proper reimbursement with ease, while ensuring employees get the time they need to recover and return to work productive and engaged. 

Omni also seamlessly integrates with your team’s most loved work tools such as Slack, enabling managers to receive and manage time off approvals directly within the messaging platform, removing time-consuming steps from leave management with a quick push of a button. With automated calculations, employees and managers can easily view paternity leave balances in real-time without the intervention of HR. 

Our employee self-service portal empowers employees to swiftly submit their paternity leave requests, automatically routing to the appropriate managers with customizable approval workflows. And our user-friendly mobile application allows for on-the-go approvals and communication, so you can manage leave balances and employee benefits from anywhere. 

Our localized solutions and unified system merges your paternity leave Singapore management efforts with payroll processing, facilitating automatic, accurate calculations and compliance with local regulations. 

Book your demo with us today to learn more about how Omni can transform your leave management processes, saving you time, reducing administrative burdens, and enhancing overall efficiency.