Singapore has doubled government-paid paternity leave from two to four weeks. For a start, employers can choose to grant the additional two weeks of leave on a voluntary basis and will be reimbursed by the Government. Announcing this in his Budget speech, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Lawrence Wong said, “This is also to give more time for employers to adjust, especially taking into account the existing economic conditions and manpower and operational challenges that many employers face.” He added that when the government introduced paternity leave ten years ago, the take-up rate was low but the situation changed over times. He said the scheme to offer an additional two weeks of paternity leave will be reviewed and that the Government intends to make it mandatory in due course.
