'Appreciate the progress': Parents welcome 10 additional weeks of shared parental leave

From April 1, 2026, new parents will get to enjoy 30 weeks of parental leave in total, 10 weeks more than what is currently offered.

This was announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during his maiden National Day Rally speech on Sunday (Aug 18).

For Bernard Goh and his wife Eileen Ng, both 31, these changes are long overdue. 

The couple have a 17-month-old son and are expecting their second child in October.

Speaking to AsiaOne, Goh said that current maternity leave arrangements are "generally sufficient" but the paternity leave "falls short".

"After childbirth, both emotional recovery and adjusting to the new responsibilities as a parent require time. By two weeks, most women are just beginning to recover from the physical and emotional stress," he said.

"Factors such as postnatal depression and potential infant complications are most prevalent in the first few months of life, making extended leave crucial during this period."

Goh, who manages his own retail agency, shared that while Ng was pregnant with their son, all their shared parental leave was given to her so she could rest and recover.

He added that the couple will do the same for their second child as his business is at a critical stage, and he is unable to take time off.

"Although these [new] changes were slow to come, I acknowledge and appreciate the progress being made.

"I am pleased to see policies evolving to reflect the realities faced by many modern families," he added.

Paternal leave to be doubled, made mandatory

From Jan 1, government-paid paternity leave was doubled from two to four weeks on a voluntary basis.

These additional two weeks will be made mandatory from April 1, 2025, meaning that employers cannot turn down such leave requests without reasonable cause – given fathers meet the necessary conditions.

Paid parental leave, which is shared between a couple, will also be upgraded from 20 to 30 weeks in two phases starting April 1, 2025. This was announced during the National Day Rally on Sunday (Aug 18).

The 10 extra weeks come from an overhaul of the shared parental leave scheme, making it such that it no longer draws from the 16 weeks of maternity leave allotted for mothers.

Newlywed Melisa Lee, 30, echoed Goh's sentiments to AsiaOne.

The communications manager, who got married in July, said that the shift is "encouraging to see" as it provides more support for parents overall by allowing flexibility.

"Parenthood should be a shared responsibility. While this doesn't make [the responsibility of childrearing] equal, it shifts the needle slightly more in favour of having kids as we know there is more support provided," she said.

On the other hand, a 24-year-old consultant who wishes to be known as Foo said that the changes, although welcome, have not impacted her decision regarding having children.

"I would have children regardless," said Foo, who will be tying the knot with her fiance in March next year.

"I admit, 10 weeks is a lot of time. For people who already want to have kids, it's a huge relief because you can focus on caring for your newborn and enjoying this stage in life without immediately worrying about returning to work."

"It's more humane than expecting new parents to think about work at a time where it shouldn't be the focus."

Many parents wish to spend more time with children

Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, Indranee Rajah – who assists in overseeing the National Population and Talent Division – addressed young parents and their wishes in a Facebook post on Sunday.

"We know that juggling work and family is a key challenge for parents of young children. This is especially so at the infant stage," she wrote.

"In our engagements with parents many (including the fathers) shared with us that they wished they could spend more time with their newborns."

"We hope parents will make good use of this parental leave."

Nee Soon GRC MP Louis Ng said that he was heartened by the new parental leave measures as he had been pushing for them for many years.

"So happy for all the parents who will have more precious time with their babies, especially during the... first year of their life," he wrote in a Facebook post made on Sunday.

"I'm glad peoples' voices have been heard and we have changed our policy to reflect the growing calls for more precious time with our loved ones."

Tampines GRC MP Desmond Choo also addressed the new measures, stating that they will require both employers and employees to work together and tackle Singapore's low total fertility rate.

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