Government-paid maternity leave
For a citizen child, employees with 3 continuous months’ service before birth, or self-employed mothers with 3 continuous months’ work and income loss during leave, qualify for 16 weeks. Give at least 4 weeks’ notice before GPML or inform the employer as soon as possible after delivery. Without sufficient reason for missing notice, payment is halved. Employers pay first and claim the eligible Government reimbursement.
| Child order | Employer-funded | Government-funded |
|---|---|---|
| First or second | First 8 weeks at gross rate | Last 8 weeks: S$10,000 per 4 weeks, total S$20,000 cap per child order |
| Third or later | No employer-funded block under this split | All 16 weeks: S$10,000 per 4 weeks, total S$40,000 cap per child order |
Employment Act maternity leave
Employees covered by the Employment Act generally have 12 weeks. Paid entitlement requires 3 continuous months immediately before birth; without that qualifying service, the 12 weeks are unpaid. The first 8 weeks are at usual monthly salary if the qualifying service is met, the mother has fewer than 2 living children of her own at delivery, and at least 1 week’s advance notice plus prompt birth notification is given. Twins/triplets in a first pregnancy do not remove 8-week pay for the next pregnancy. Missing notice without good reason halves pay. The final 4 weeks are unpaid unless the contract provides otherwise.
Future reimbursement and official routes
The 2026 National Day Rally announced future full-duration Government reimbursement for citizen-child maternity leave within caps. MOM says implementation date and detailed eligibility will follow; do not treat it as already replacing the split above. Employers must notify MOM when a migrant worker is pregnant. GPL Portal and Made For Families provide claims and package details; legal bases are CDCA Part 3 and Employment Act Part 9.
Related topics and services
Official documents and references
- reimbursement ↗ Government source
- child order ↗ Government source
- National Day Rally website ↗ Government source
- notify MOM ↗ Government source
- Government-Paid Leave (GPL) Portal ↗ Government source
- Made For Families website ↗ Government source
- Part 3 of the Child Development Co-Savings Act ↗ Government source
- Part 9 of the Employment Act ↗ Government source