Paternity Leave: Government-Paid Paternity Leave (GPPL) in Singapore 2024: HR Guide

What is Paternity Leave in Singapore?

The Government-Paid Paternity Leave (GPPL) scheme in Singapore supports eligible working fathers (including self-employed fathers) in caring for their newborn children and encourages shared parental responsibility.

Who is Eligible for Government-Paid Paternity Leave (GPPL) in Singapore

Working fathers are eligible for Government-Paid Paternity Leave (GPPL) for all births, provided they meet the following requirements:

• The child is a Singapore citizen.
• The employee is or had been lawfully married to the child’s mother between conception and birth.
• For employees: Have served their employer for a continuous period of at least 3 months before the birth of their child.
• For self-employed: Have been engaged in their work for a continuous period of at least 3 months before the birth of their child, and have lost income during the paternity leave period.

Adoptive fathers who meet the following criteria are also eligible for Government-Paid Paternity Leave (GPPL) for all births:

• The child is a Singapore citizen.
• For employees: Have served their employer for a continuous period of at least 3 months before the date of their formal intent to adopt.
• For self-employed: Have been engaged in their work for a continuous period of at least 3 months before the date of their formal intent to adopt, and have lost income during the paternity leave period.

Paternity Leave for Foreigners in Singapore

Foreigner or permanent residents are eligible for government-paid paternity leave as long as their child is a Singapore citizen, and they meet the other eligibility criteria.

If the child is not a Singapore citizen, they may check with their employer on whether they provide company-paid paternity leave.

It is highly encouraged for employers to implement family-friendly company policies, such as paternity leave, to help them fulfil their work and family commitments. This will lead to increased productivity and job satisfaction for employees.

How Much Paternity Leave Are Fathers Entitled to in Singapore 2024?

💡 As announced in Singapore Budget 2024, working fathers of Singaporean children born on or after January 1, 2024, can take 4 weeks of government-paid paternity leave, up from the current two weeks, depending on their employers.

Start Date: No earlier than the child’s date of birth (for natural fathers) / Formal Intent to Adopt (FIA) date (for adoptive fathers)

End Date: No later than 12 months from child’s date of birth (inclusive of date of birth)

Employees can take the 2-week paternity leave in Singapore as follows:

Taken in one continuous block within 16 weeks from the child’s date of birth (inclusive of date of birth)

or

Taken non-continuously with mutual agreement between employer and employee

How to Calculate Paternity Leave Entitlement?

The GPPL entitlement per week depends on the number of working days in a week.

For instance, if an employee works for 6 days a week, then they will get 12 days of GPPL.

Note: Employees may also be able to take another 4 weeks of shared parental leave.

How much iss Paternity Leave Pay in Singapore?

The Government will reimburse/pay for all 2 weeks of your GPPL, capped at $2,500 per week (including CPF contributions) or a total of $5,000.

Government reimbursement/payment is capped at a daily rate of:

Employers can estimate the amount of reimbursement using the Government-Paid Leave (GPL) Calculator.

How to Apply and Claim Paternity Leave in Singapore

For employers

1. 1. Obtain the declaration form (GPPL1) and supporting documents from your employee and verify their eligibility for GPPL.

   You can also use your own form or system to capture your employee’s declaration. Please note that the information requested should be similar to those in the declaration form.

   The declaration form or records must be kept for 5 years from the last leave date for audit purposes.

2. 2. Submit your claim for reimbursement online via the Government-Paid Leave (GPL) Portal no later than 3 months after the last date of your employee’s GPPL taken.

   If you wish to grant GPPL to employees who fulfil all GPPL criteria (and eligibility criteria 4a to 4c above) except eligibility criterion 4, you may grant GPPL as per usual and submit your claim via the GPL portal in the same manner.

3. 3. Check your application status on the GPL Portal. A notification will be sent to you and your employee once your application is processed.

   Please refer to our service standards for the processing time.

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