Tag Archives: Paternity Leave

Workers in IKEA can claim the benefit regardless of how many children they have, but it must be used within the first 6 months of the child’s birth. According to IKEA’s HR department, the benefit was to promote gender equality and enable fathers to take on more active roles at home, which it says is part of “Swedish values”.

While families raise children and nurture them, the Government will continue to support families in their caregiving responsibilities. I encourage all parents to make good use of the leave schemes, and to be there for their children. A big thank you to the employers who also play an important role in supporting families’ aspirations.

According to Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Grace Fu, while the newly announced extra week of paternity leave will be implemented on a voluntary basis for now, the scheme may become mandatory in a few years. She says that the government would consult with employers and unions before legislating the move.

In Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's National Day Rally speech, he said that fathers will get two weeks of paternity leave, up from one week. The government would pay the employee's salary for this additional week, although the scheme will be rolled out first on a voluntary basis. While many parents, fathers especially, cheered the government's announcement, some employers have already begun to express concerns about such pro-family policies.