Employee, self-employed and adoption conditions
The child must be Singaporean and the father must be/have been lawfully married to the mother between conception and birth or within 12 months after birth, including the birth date. An employee needs three continuous service months before birth; a self-employed father needs three continuous work months and lost income. MSF may reimburse voluntary provision where only the service requirement is unmet. Adoptive fathers need a Singaporean child and the corresponding three-month work/service period before formal intent to adopt, with income loss for self-employment. Stillborn-child fathers may receive two weeks subject to employment, marriage and citizenship conditions.
Entitlement and reimbursement
Use the birth, estimated-delivery or formal-adoption-intent date. Before 1 April 2025 there are two statutory weeks plus two optional weeks with employer agreement; from that date there are four weeks. Four weeks × weekly workdays, capped at six a week, gives 24 days for a six-day week. The employer pays leave wages and may claim all four weeks for eligible post-1-April-2025 births, capped at S$2,500 per week and S$10,000 total.
Notice, protection and flexible use
From 1 April 2025 dismissal during GPPL is an offence and four weeks’ notice is required unless the employer accepts less. Default use is a continuous block within 16 weeks of birth. By agreement, use a continuous block or divide into workdays within 12 months. The same timing structures apply to earlier two-week leave and any employer-approved additional two weeks, with two or four weeks multiplied by workdays capped at six per week.
Related topics and services
Official documents and references
- Government-Paid Leave portal ↗ Government source