Latest news with #parentalLeave
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Paternity leave take-up in S'pore rises to 56% in 2023; experts hope for further boost after extension
SINGAPORE - Slightly more fathers are using their paternity leave to take care of their newborns. The take-up rate for government-paid paternity leave rose from 53 per cent in 2022, to 56 per cent in 2023, in the latest figures published by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF). Maternity leave usage remained high at 74 per cent, similar to past years, said the Family Trends Report 2025 published on July 7. The number of mothers who used their childcare leave dipped slightly from 61 per cent in 2022, to 58 per cent in 2023. For fathers, 53 per cent of them used their childcare leave in 2023, inching up from 52 per cent in 2022, and 49 per cent in 2021. The latest available data was for 2023 as employers have three months after a year ends to submit reimbursement claims to the Government. All data available excludes employers who do not submit claims. Paternity leave was enhanced in April, with fathers now entitled to four weeks of paternity leave, up from two. From April, parents have also been able to share up to six weeks of paid parental leave, which replaces the previous scheme that allowed fathers to share their wives' maternity leave quota. This shared leave scheme will be increased to 10 weeks in April 2026. MSF's report noted that more employers have offered flexibility to working parents. The number of full-time employees who had access to flexible work arrangements like staggered hours and working from home increased from 84.1 per cent in 2022, to 87 per cent in 2023. Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli said at the National Family Festival Appreciation Event at One Farrer Hotel on July 7 that the Government hopes more employers can support parents in balancing caregiving responsibilities and career aspirations. Dr Mathew Mathews, head of the Institute of Policy Studies' Social Lab, told The Straits Times that with more flexible work arrangement options available, the need to apply for childcare leave may be less pressing. 'Some childcare activities may not require a whole day away from work, thus requiring childcare leave – these care activities can simply require the parent to be at home, still engaged at work, but also able to watch out for a child while he/she is not able to be in childcare facility,' he said. On the take-up rate of paternity leave remaining stable at over 50 per cent, Dr Mathews said that though more are taking paternity leave over the years, there has been no clear jump in usage. This suggests that the idea of paternity leave has still not gained sufficient traction among all groups of fathers, he added. 'The extended paternity leave to four weeks, a period which seems to be more significant, might increase the signature of paternity leave, making it more than a 'token' but a reasonably long, dedicated period to help fathers adjust and be involved in their parental duties,' he said. 'Hopefully, this will result in a substantial increase in utilisation over the next few years.' Singapore Management University sociologist Paulin Straughan said: 'Ideally, we would like to see more fathers embrace co-parenting responsibilities so that mothers do not feel overburdened. The extension from two to four weeks is significant as the leave allows fathers to contribute beyond taking care of logistic details or help out.' Four weeks would allow them to take over while their wives recover from childbirth and get into a good rhythm of caring for a newborn, and it allows sufficient time for fathers to bond with their newborns, Professor Straughan added. The Family Trends Report also looked at statistics and trends related to early childhood education and the growth of early intervention services. The number of full-day infant care places has nearly tripled over the past decade, from 5,628 in 2015 to 16,207 in 2024, and full-day childcare places have almost doubled, from 104,066 in 2014 to 200,847 in 2024. The cohort enrolment rate of children aged three to four years was 90 per cent in 2024, the same as in 2023. And 93 per cent of children aged five to six were enrolled in pre-school, slightly down from 95 per cent in 2023. Support for young children with developmental needs has also increased, said MSF. There were 10,186 children who were served by early intervention programmes in 2024, up from 8,950 in 2023. Early intervention programmes support children with developmental delays or disabilities by addressing potential issues early on, preventing them from worsening and supporting their needs. In 2024, about 1,500 places were added to early intervention centres, increasing capacity by 26 per cent from 2023. Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction Discover how to enjoy other premium articles here
BBC News
16-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
'Two weeks of paternity leave is enough time to bond with child'
Fathers in Guernsey and gender equality supporters are echoing calls from campaigners in the UK to improve paternity Allen said that, although having a baby was "exciting and nerve-wracking", he wished he could have had more time off work to build a closer bond with his son Ajax, who was born in November said: "My mental health has taken a cliff-dive since my little one was born and I had to come back to work."Peter Roffey, outgoing President of the Committee for Employment & Social Security, said statutory leave entitlement reform was needed and he was asking the next government to look at it. Mr Allen said he found it tough adapting to being back at said: "The first couple of weeks back, I was getting quite emotional. I was having to go off to the toilet to compose myself because it just felt like I was missing out."There were times when I didn't want to be here. I'd much rather be at home with my young family."While it's gotten better as time's gone on, I really do feel like if I had extra time with my young family, I do think I'd be more prepared to come back to work."A group of MPs in the UK has said the statutory parental leave system is "one of the worst in the developed world" and has "fundamental flaws".Introduced in 2003, statutory paternity leave, external allows most new fathers and second parents in the UK to take up to two weeks off work. In Guernsey, a mother has the right to 12 weeks' basic maternity leave, regardless of length of service or hours of is entitled to an enhanced period of 26 weeks leave if she has worked continuously for the same employer for at least 15 there is no statutory obligation on employers to provide paid maternity claiming maternity support leave have a statutory entitlement to two weeks' unpaid parental said his committee was "recommending to our successor committee [after the 2025 general election] that a review is prioritised early in the next term of government".He said: "It's clearly very important that government does all it can to make Guernsey a family-friendly place to live – not just because of the positive social benefits, but because of potential economic benefits as well." Parental leave rights Jersey:Six weeks paid leave at full salary for both parentsStatutory right to request flexible workingGuernsey:Two-week statutory entitlement to parental leave, but unpaidNo legal requirement to give employees paid parental leaveNo statutory right to request flexible hoursUK:Two-week statutory entitlement to parental leavePaternity Pay is £187.18, or 90% of average weekly earnings (whichever is lower)Statutory right to request flexible working Louise Doublet, Chair of the Jersey's Health and Social Security Panel, said the island was a "trailblazer" for equal parental rights for mothers and said: "It's important for children to have both parents fully involved in their care from day one."We need to reduce the stigma around fathers taking parental leave. I know that this stigma still exists."In 2020, Jersey approved new parental leave policies which would treat each parent Doublet said: "As a society, we need to send a message to fathers that they are entitled to this leave, that they are needed in the home caring for their children just as much as mothers are, and that they should fully utilise their parental leave benefits." Elliott Rae, founder of Parenting Out Loud, campaigning for equal parenting and gender equality, said he felt dads had become "undervalued".He said: "I think our role in the family has been really minimized to a kind of provider protector role and we know that that is not enough."Around one in four dads don't take any paternity leave and that is devastating."That fatherhood-infant bonding experience is so important. We know from the research that one in 10 dads will suffer some symptoms of post-mental depression in the first six months of their child's life. "So, if we're not giving that dad the opportunity and the time to bond with their child, they are more at risk of poor mental health."Mr Rae said he felt that six weeks paternity leave should be given to new said: "It's a bare minimum, but it's an adequate amount of time for that dad to spend time helping their partner, to bond with their baby, to look after their mental health, to understand the flow of the household."
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Paternity leave: How much time off work do new dads get across Europe?
The paternity leave offer for new dads in the UK is "one of the worst in the developed world", according to a new report published this week. The government says the system needs to be "improved" and has promised to review parental leave. But how does the situation in the UK compare to elsewhere? BBC News spoke to dads across Europe about how much time they can take off work after the birth of their children - and how that has changed fatherhood for them. When Jamie's daughter Kiara was born three years ago, he says it was "incredibly difficult". "I had to watch my partner struggle looking after our child," Jamie says. "The biggest thing I remember was the crying. My daughter clearly needed support and my wife was noticeably struggling and exhausted." A few weeks after Kiara was born, Jamie's mother-in-law flew from Zimbabwe to support the family, because Jamie was only entitled to statutory paternity leave. Rules in the UK allow new fathers and second parents in full-time employment to take up to two weeks off work. That applies to all partners, regardless of gender, after the birth, surrogacy or adoption of a baby, but not those who are self-employed or dads earning less than £123 a week. Those eligible receive £187.18 a week, or 90% of their average earnings, whichever is lower. This works out as less than half of the National Living Wage. Jamie, from Ashford in Kent, says the statutory pay "was frankly pennies". He and his partner are now expecting their second child, in August - something they began saving for before Jamie's wife Zanele even fell pregnant. Jamie says his "frustration" about paternity pay led him to attend the world's first "dad strike" earlier this week, when fathers from across the country protested outside the government's Department for Business and Trade in Westminster. "Seeing things change relatively recently in other countries... why are we not keeping up?" Jamie says. For Octavio, spending four months at home with his daughter Alicia has made "a tremendous difference". He split his paternity leave into two parts - six weeks - which was mandatory -immediately after Alicia was born, and the remaining 10 weeks when his wife went back to work. "The extended quality time with Alicia allowed us to develop a strong bond that I believe wouldn't have formed as deeply otherwise," says Octavio, a computer engineer from Seville. Over the past few years, Spain has increased the amount of time given to new fathers. In 2019, dads were entitled to five weeks off work. But from 2021, that was extended to 16 weeks at full pay, including for those who are self-employed. There is no cap on the salary paid. It means parental leave is now equal between mums and dads in Spain. "These changes have truly made a significant difference," says Octavio. France has also made progressive steps on paternity leave in recent years. Antoine is an architect who lives on the outskirts of Paris, and has benefitted from the changes. When his son Thibault was born five years ago, Antoine, who works full-time, was entitled to two weeks paternity leave. But in September 2020 paternity leave in France doubled, meaning Antoine got four weeks off work when his second child was born in 2023. "It allowed me to support my wife and children," he says. "Fathers should be allowed to be more present during these family life periods that enrich all relationships and allow them to fully take their place as full-time parents." France's paternity leave rules mean dads - including those who are self-employed - must take a week off work immediately after their child is born. Pay is covered by the employer for the first three days, but after that is state-funded. The remaining 21 days, which can be split into two chunks, are optional and can be taken anytime within the next six months. Pay is capped at €3,428 (£2,921) a month. André, who was born in Portugal and spent nine years living in England, says the prominent role played by dads in Denmark was one of the first things he noticed when he moved there. "You see dads strolling around with their kids and young babies," André says. "I was like: 'Wow, I'm not used to this.'" Dads in Denmark, including those who are self-employed, can take up to 24 weeks off work at full pay by the state. After eleven weeks, the remaining 13 can be transferred to the birth partner if wanted, so they can use them as extra maternity leave. One of the parents can postpone up to 13 weeks of parental until their child is aged nine. André decided to split his parental leave - taking two weeks immediately after his baby Miro was born and saving the remaining 11 weeks - so he can look after his nine-month-old son when his partner returns to work. "In Denmark, it's expected that the partner is more present," André says. "You're not only connecting with your child, but you want to develop the family as a whole together." Dads with full-time jobs in Poland are entitled to two weeks of paternity leave. But unlike in the UK, the salary is paid at 100%, which Kamil says was "great". Shortly after his daughter Marianna's first birthday, Kamil took another nine weeks of non-transferable parental leave, which must be taken in the first year. This is available to both parents, as long as they are employed, and is paid at 70% of a full-time salary. "For many families, the 70% nine weeks is very low," Kamil says, "but... when I took the leave my wife started going back to work. I earned 30% less, but she started earning more, so it was beneficial for our family." Kamil says those extra nine weeks alleviated a lot of "stress" as his wife transitioned back into work after a year off on maternity leave. "I was confident," Kamil says. "I felt as though I was doing a good job - and my daughter felt good with me." Mattias, from Stockholm, says comforting his three-month-old son is "the best feeling I've ever experienced". Mattias is able to take advantage of one of the most generous paternity leave policies in the world. Parents in Sweden, including those who are self-employed, can share up to 480 days of parent leave, with 90 days reserved specifically for each parent. Ringfencing time off for dads was first introduced in Sweden in 1995, with the introduction of a "daddy month" - 30 days just for fathers. This use-it-or-lose-it model increased to 60 days in 2002, and 90 days in 2016. The first 390 days for each parent are paid at 80% by the government, up to a monthly salary cap of SEK47,750 (£3,590). After that, there's a daily statutory compensation of SEK180 (£14). Mattias took six weeks off when Otto was born and will use another nine months of parental leave from November. "We could share the load in the beginning when everything was new," Mattias says. "Those six weeks allowed us to be parents together - that made a huge difference. " Some companies, both in the UK and abroad, pay out of their own pocket for enhanced paternity leave policies beyond the statutory minimum. But research from 2023 showed just 12% of fathers from low-income households had access to their full entitlement of employer-enhanced parental leave and pay. Alex Lloyd-Hunter, co-founder of The Dad Shift, says "money is the single biggest barrier" to dads taking time off work and wants the government to fund better paternity leave for all dads. A report, published this week by the Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) said statutory pay in the UK was "completely out of kilter with the cost of living". It suggested the government should consider increasing paternity pay to 90% or more and paternity leave to six weeks in a phased approach. The report also looked at shared parental leave, introduced in 2014, which allows parents to share up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay after the birth or adoption of a child. The review found many families considered it "unnecessarily complex". It is used in fewer than 2% of all births and a report from 2023 suggests almost half (45%) of dads were not even aware shared parental leave was an option. "We know the parental leave system needs to be improved," a spokesperson for the Department for Business and Trade said, adding the government would review maternity leave, paternity leave and shared parental leave. They also pointed to changes which mean dads will soon no longer have to be employed by a company for 26 weeks to be entitled to statutory paternity leave. Give new dads six weeks off work at nearly full pay, MPs say 'Two weeks of paternity leave is just too little for the 21st Century' 'Lack of job protection' is harming new dads
BBC News
15-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
How UK paternity leave compares to the rest of Europe
The paternity leave offer for new dads in the UK is "one of the worst in the developed world", according to a new report published this week. The government says the system needs to be "improved" and has promised to review parental leave. But how does the situation in the UK compare to elsewhere? BBC News spoke to dads across Europe about how much time they can take off work after the birth of their children - and how that has changed fatherhood for them. When Jamie's daughter Kiara was born three years ago, he says it was "incredibly difficult"."I had to watch my partner struggle looking after our child," Jamie says. "The biggest thing I remember was the crying. My daughter clearly needed support and my wife was noticeably struggling and exhausted."A few weeks after Kiara was born, Jamie's mother-in-law flew from Zimbabwe to support the family, because Jamie was only entitled to statutory paternity in the UK allow new fathers and second parents in full-time employment to take up to two weeks off work. That applies to all partners, regardless of gender, after the birth, surrogacy or adoption of a baby, but not those who are self-employed or dads earning less than £123 a eligible receive £187.18 a week, or 90% of their average earnings, whichever is lower. This works out as less than half of the National Living from Ashford in Kent, says the statutory pay "was frankly pennies".He and his partner are now expecting their second child, in August - something they began saving for before Jamie's wife Zanele even fell says his "frustration" about paternity pay led him to attend the world's first "dad strike" earlier this week, when fathers from across the country protested outside the government's Department for Business and Trade in Westminster."Seeing things change relatively recently in other countries... why are we not keeping up?" Jamie says. For Octavio, spending four months at home with his daughter Alicia has made "a tremendous difference".He split his paternity leave into two parts - six weeks - which was mandatory -immediately after Alicia was born, and the remaining 10 weeks when his wife went back to work."The extended quality time with Alicia allowed us to develop a strong bond that I believe wouldn't have formed as deeply otherwise," says Octavio, a computer engineer from the past few years, Spain has increased the amount of time given to new fathers. In 2019, dads were entitled to five weeks off work. But from 2021, that was extended to 16 weeks at full pay, including for those who are self-employed. There is no cap on the salary paid. It means parental leave is now equal between mums and dads in Spain."These changes have truly made a significant difference," says Octavio. France has also made progressive steps on paternity leave in recent is an architect who lives on the outskirts of Paris, and has benefitted from the changes. When his son Thibault was born five years ago, Antoine, who works full-time, was entitled to two weeks paternity in September 2020 paternity leave in France doubled, meaning Antoine got four weeks off work when his second child was born in 2023."It allowed me to support my wife and children," he says. "Fathers should be allowed to be more present during these family life periods that enrich all relationships and allow them to fully take their place as full-time parents."France's paternity leave rules mean dads - including those who are self-employed - must take a week off work immediately after their child is born. Pay is covered by the employer for the first three days, but after that is remaining 21 days, which can be split into two chunks, are optional and can be taken anytime within the next six months. Pay is capped at €3,428 (£2,921) a month. André, who was born in Portugal and spent nine years living in England, says the prominent role played by dads in Denmark was one of the first things he noticed when he moved there."You see dads strolling around with their kids and young babies," André says. "I was like: 'Wow, I'm not used to this.'"Dads in Denmark, including those who are self-employed, can take up to 24 weeks off work at full pay by the eleven weeks, the remaining 13 can be transferred to the birth partner if wanted, so they can use them as extra maternity leave. One of the parents can postpone up to 13 weeks of parental until their child is aged decided to split his parental leave - taking two weeks immediately after his baby Miro was born and saving the remaining 11 weeks - so he can look after his nine-month-old son when his partner returns to work."In Denmark, it's expected that the partner is more present," André says. "You're not only connecting with your child, but you want to develop the family as a whole together." Dads with full-time jobs in Poland are entitled to two weeks of paternity leave. But unlike in the UK, the salary is paid at 100%, which Kamil says was "great".Shortly after his daughter Marianna's first birthday, Kamil took another nine weeks of non-transferable parental leave, which must be taken in the first year. This is available to both parents, as long as they are employed, and is paid at 70% of a full-time salary."For many families, the 70% nine weeks is very low," Kamil says, "but... when I took the leave my wife started going back to work. I earned 30% less, but she started earning more, so it was beneficial for our family."Kamil says those extra nine weeks alleviated a lot of "stress" as his wife transitioned back into work after a year off on maternity leave."I was confident," Kamil says. "I felt as though I was doing a good job - and my daughter felt good with me." Mattias, from Stockholm, says comforting his three-month-old son is "the best feeling I've ever experienced".Mattias is able to take advantage of one of the most generous paternity leave policies in the world. Parents in Sweden, including those who are self-employed, can share up to 480 days of parent leave, with 90 days reserved specifically for each time off for dads was first introduced in Sweden in 1995, with the introduction of a "daddy month" - 30 days just for fathers. This use-it-or-lose-it model increased to 60 days in 2002, and 90 days in first 390 days for each parent are paid at 80% by the government, up to a monthly salary cap of SEK47,750 (£3,590). After that, there's a daily statutory compensation of SEK180 (£14).Mattias took six weeks off when Otto was born and will use another nine months of parental leave from November."We could share the load in the beginning when everything was new," Mattias says. "Those six weeks allowed us to be parents together - that made a huge difference. " Paternity leave - the view from the UK Some companies, both in the UK and abroad, pay out of their own pocket for enhanced paternity leave policies beyond the statutory minimum. But research from 2023 showed just 12% of fathers from low-income households had access to their full entitlement of employer-enhanced parental leave and Lloyd-Hunter, co-founder of The Dad Shift, says "money is the single biggest barrier" to dads taking time off work and wants the government to fund better paternity leave for all dads.A report, published this week by the Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) said statutory pay in the UK was "completely out of kilter with the cost of living". It suggested the government should consider increasing paternity pay to 90% or more and paternity leave to six weeks in a phased approach. The report also looked at shared parental leave, introduced in 2014, which allows parents to share up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay after the birth or adoption of a child. The review found many families considered it "unnecessarily complex". It is used in fewer than 2% of all births and a report from 2023 suggests almost half (45%) of dads were not even aware shared parental leave was an option. "We know the parental leave system needs to be improved," a spokesperson for the Department for Business and Trade said, adding the government would review maternity leave, paternity leave and shared parental also pointed to changes which mean dads will soon no longer have to be employed by a company for 26 weeks to be entitled to statutory paternity leave.
BBC News
10-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Paternity leave in UK is outdated and unequal, say MPs
The UK's statutory parental leave system is "one of the worst in the developed world" and has "fundamental flaws", a group of cross-party MPs has said.A report published today by the Women and Equalities Committee said paternity leave rules "entrench outdated gender stereotypes". It added that "bold" action is needed, but warned any changes would require significant investment.A Department for Business and Trade spokesperson said the government is carrying out a review to see how it best can support working families. Introduced in 2003, statutory paternity leave allows most new fathers and second parents in the UK to take up to two weeks off applies to all partners, regardless of gender, after the birth, surrogacy or adoption of a eligible receive £187.18 a week or 90% of their average earnings, whichever is works out as less than 50% of the National Living Wage and fathers are ineligible for statutory paternity leave if they are self-employed or earn less than £123 a week. The report says this is "completely out of kilter with the cost of living" and suggests the government should consider increasing paternity pay to 90% or more and paternity leave to six weeks in a phased recommends both aspects should be done during this how paternity leave has not changed noticeably since its introduction more than two decades ago, the report says: "We now have one of the worst statutory leave offers for fathers and other parents in the developed world."In Spain, new dads can take 16 weeks off work at full rules introduced in France in 2021 mean working dads can now spend 28 days at home while being in Sweden are entitled to 480 days of paid parental leave, with 90 days reserved for fathers. As part of Your Voice, Your BBC News we are covering the stories that matter most to you and several dads have been in touch about paternity Yeates, from Haverhill, Suffolk, says it was "horrible" having to return to work just two weeks after his son, Luca, was born in September he says the birth of his son was "the happiest moment of my life", he soon felt as though he was leaving his partner "in the lurch"."There would be times when my partner was struggling and I'd have to leave to go to work," he said."I felt like I was letting her down and letting my son down."James works for the NHS, who topped up his statutory paternity pay to 100% of his usual salary, but feels as though he was prevented from being "a more present parent".The WEC report also looked at shared parental leave, which was introduced in 2014 and allows parents to share up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay after the birth or adoption of a the review found many families considered it "unnecessarily complex" and "burdensome".It is used in fewer than 2% of all births and a government review from 2023 suggests almost half (45%) of all dads were not even aware shared parental leave was an report has been released on the eve of the world's first dad of fathers are expected to picket outside the Department for Business and Trade in London on Wednesday to call for an overhaul of the UK's parental leave policies. New research by The Dad Shift and Shaun Davies MP suggests that just 3% of money spent on parental leave in the UK supports fathers and non-birthing provided by employers to HMRC shows that £3.3bn was spent on statutory maternity pay in 2023/ the same period, £69m was spent on paternity pay and £34.4m statutory shared parental Gabriel, co-founder of the Dad Shift, said paternity leave laws mean dads often have to go back to work before their two-week paternity leave ends."The pie is small and the crumbs left for dads and non-birthing parents are honestly pretty pitiful," he Jones, chief executive of the Fatherhood Institute, said she welcomed many of the findings of the report, but said "families shouldn't have to wait until the next Parliament for this to come in".The government said its forthcoming review, which is due before mid-July, would look at all current parental leave entitlements.A spokesperson added it is already in the process of ensuring dads no longer need to be employed for 26 weeks to be entitled to paternity leave."This government is committed to making sure parents receive the best possible support to balance their work and home lives," they said. Additional reporting from George Walker.
