When an employee in Singapore takes maternity, paternity, shared parental or childcare leave, the employer usually keeps paying their salary during the leave, then claims the cost back from the Government. Getting the reimbursement right matters for cash flow and for staying compliant. It also changed in 2026: Shared Parental Leave rises to 10 weeks for eligible working parents, on top of maternity and paternity leave. This guide sets out the parental leave entitlements, the reimbursement caps, and what employers must do to claim.
The entitlements below are Government-Paid, funded by the State and administered mainly under the Child Development Co-Savings Act (CDCA), with the baseline maternity and childcare provisions also anchored in the Employment Act. They form part of the wider set of employer obligations alongside your payroll and CPF duties.
The parental leave entitlements at a glance
| Leave type | Entitlement (Singapore-citizen child) | Who is paid / reimbursed |
|---|---|---|
| Government-Paid Maternity Leave (GPML) | 16 weeks | Employer pays; Government reimburses part or all |
| Government-Paid Paternity Leave (GPPL) | 4 weeks | Government-funded (reimbursed to employer) |
| Shared Parental Leave (SPL) | 10 weeks (from 1 April 2026) | Government-funded (reimbursed to employer) |
| Government-Paid Childcare Leave (GPCL) | 6 days per year (child under 7) | Employer pays first 3 days; Government funds the rest |
| Extended Childcare Leave | 2 days per year (child aged 7–12) | Government-funded |
| Government-Paid Adoption Leave (GPAL) | 12 weeks | Government-funded (reimbursed to employer) |
Together, the enhancements mean eligible parents can access substantially more paid leave in their child’s first year than under the older framework. The exact split of who pays depends on the leave type, the child’s birth order and the child’s citizenship.
Maternity leave: who pays which weeks
An eligible working mother of a Singapore-citizen child is entitled to 16 weeks of Government-Paid Maternity Leave. For the first and second child, the employer pays the first 8 weeks and the Government reimburses the last 8 weeks. From the third child onwards, the Government funds all 16 weeks. Where the child is not a Singapore citizen, the Employment Act provides a shorter 12-week maternity entitlement, of which the employer bears the cost.
To qualify, the mother must generally have been employed for a continuous period before the birth and the child must meet the citizenship condition. The reimbursement for GPML is capped at S$10,000 per four weeks (including CPF), which works out to a maximum of S$40,000 across the full 16 weeks.
Paternity and Shared Parental Leave
Fathers of Singapore-citizen children are entitled to 4 weeks of Government-Paid Paternity Leave. Separately, from 1 April 2026, eligible working parents share a pool of 10 weeks of Shared Parental Leave, which can be divided between the mother and father. Both GPPL and SPL are Government-funded and reimbursed to the employer, subject to a cap of S$2,500 per week (including CPF).
Shared Parental Leave is a distinct entitlement from the mother giving up part of her maternity leave. It is designed to let both parents take time off in the child’s first year, and employers should track each parent’s usage separately because the reimbursement is claimed per parent.
Childcare and extended childcare leave
Working parents of a Singapore-citizen child under 7 are entitled to 6 days of Government-Paid Childcare Leave per year (per parent). For children aged 7 to 12, there is 2 days of Extended Childcare Leave per year. For GPCL, the employer pays the first 3 days and the Government funds the balance, with the Government-funded portion capped at S$500 per day. Childcare leave is a per-year entitlement, not per-child, so a parent with two young children still gets 6 days, not 12.
How employers claim reimbursement
The mechanism is pay-first, claim-back. The employer continues to pay the employee during the leave, then submits a claim through the Government-Paid Leave (GPL) portal for the Government-funded portion. Key practical points:
Claims are made electronically and should be submitted within the prescribed window after the leave is taken, so build a reminder into your payroll cycle alongside your other statutory filing deadlines. The reimbursement is based on the employee’s gross rate of pay, subject to the caps above, and includes the employer’s CPF contribution within the cap. Keep the supporting records, birth or adoption documents, employment records and leave records, because they support the claim and any later checks. Accurate leave tracking in your HR or payroll system is what makes the claim smooth.
Getting the employment contract right
Parental leave rights are statutory, but disputes usually arise from unclear records or contracts that are silent on how leave interacts with notice periods, bonuses and pro-rated benefits. A well-drafted employment contract that references the statutory entitlements, and a clean leave-tracking process, prevent most problems. Employers should also remember that dismissing an employee to avoid paying maternity benefits, or without sufficient cause during the protected period, carries legal consequences.
Frequently asked questions
Do we pay the employee first, or does the Government pay them directly?
You pay the employee their salary during the leave as usual, then claim the Government-funded portion back through the GPL portal. The employee is not paid separately by the Government.
Does the child’s citizenship matter?
Yes. The full Government-Paid entitlements above apply where the child is a Singapore citizen. Where the child is not, the shorter Employment Act maternity entitlement applies and the employer generally bears the cost.
Are the caps inclusive of CPF?
Yes. The reimbursement caps, S$10,000 per four weeks for maternity and S$2,500 per week for paternity and shared parental leave, are inclusive of CPF contributions.
Can Shared Parental Leave be taken flexibly?
SPL is designed to be shared between parents and can be taken in the child’s first year, subject to the scheme’s rules on how it is split and scheduled with the employer. Track each parent’s usage separately.
Raffles Corporate Services can help you set up compliant employment contracts, leave policies and payroll processes so parental leave and reimbursement run cleanly. Get in touch via our contact page.
Official details are on the Ministry of Manpower site at mom.gov.sg, the Made For Families portal, and the Child Development Co-Savings Act on Singapore Statutes Online.
— The Editorial Team, Raffles Corporate Services