On April 1, Singapore's new Shared Parental vacation (SPL) program will go into effect, allowing qualified working parents of Singaporean children to split up to 10 weeks of paid vacation.
The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) said in a statement that the improvements will grant qualified couples 30 weeks of paid parental leave during the first year of the child's life.
The statement read, "The new SPL scheme underscores the government's commitment to providing stronger caregiving support to parents during their child's infancy stage, when their care needs are the greatest."
"The SPL also promotes shared parental responsibility and enables fathers to take an active role in caring for their children," the ministry added.
SPL should be taken within a year of the child's birth, following the completion of all Government-Paid Paternity Leave (GPPL) or Government-Paid Maternity Leave (GPML).
As of now, GPPL offers eligible working fathers up to four weeks of leave beginning on April 1 and GPML offers eligible working moms up to 16 weeks of leave. Leave of any kind must be taken within a year of the child's birth.
The SPL program will be implemented in two stages, according to MSF, to give employers time to modify their workforce and operational plans.
Eligible working parents of children born on or after April 1, 2025, will receive six weeks of paid leave in phase one, while parents of children born on or after April 1, 2026, will receive ten weeks in phase two.
Both parents will automatically receive an equal share of the SPL entitlement, but they will be free to choose the sharing plan that best meets the caregiving needs of their family.
