Think about this. You’re thirty-six weeks pregnant, a lot heavier than you were 8 months ago. You are lumbering, and you constantly feel uncomfortable and restless when moving around. Your baby’s due at the end of September.
As excited as you are about the nearing due date, you can’t seem to comprehend why you’re up every hour of the night — and yet, you’re worried about not being able to get out of bed the next day.
Why? Because it’s a work day.
But fret not, soon you will be eligible to file and claim your maternity leave. Here’s what you need to know about the whole process.
How Long is Maternity Leave in Singapore
As a working mother, you will be entitled to either 16 weeks or 12 weeks of government-paid maternity leave, depending on whether your child is a Singapore citizen and other factors.
Who Can File for Maternity Leave
Can permanent residents (PR) and foreigners also file for maternity leave in their companies?
PR maternity leave and maternity leave for foreigners in Singapore
According to the MoM, regardless of your nationality, you are entitled to 12 weeks of maternity leave if you are covered by the Employment Act and have worked for your employer for at least 3 months.
Who is eligible to apply?
If you meet the following criteria, you are eligible for 16 weeks of paid maternity leave:
- Your child is a Singaporean.
- For employees, you must have worked for your employer for at least three months prior to the birth of your child.
- If you are self-employed, you must have worked for at least three months in a row and have lost income during the maternity leave period.
- You have given your employer at least one week’s notice before going on maternity leave, and you have informed them of your pregnancy as soon as possible. Otherwise, unless you have a good reason for not giving the notice, you are only entitled to half the pay during maternity leave.
During the leave period, your employer will pay your regular monthly salary. They can then seek reimbursement from the government under the Government-Paid Maternity Leave (GPML) programme:
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Births
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Paid by employer
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Reimbursed by Government
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First and second
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First 8 weeks
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Last 8 weeks
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Third and subsequent
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–
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All 16 weeks
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In accordance with shared parental leave, you may be able to share 1 week of your maternity leave with your husband.
Shared parental leave
You can currently apply as a working father to share up to 4 weeks of your wife’s 16 weeks of Government-Paid Maternity Leave, subject to your wife’s agreement.
If you are a working father, including self-employed fathers, you are eligible for shared parental leave if you meet the following criteria:
- Your child is a Singaporean.
- The mother of the child is eligible for government-paid maternity leave (GPML).
- You are legally married to the mother of the child.
How Many Days of Maternity Leave in Singapore?
Image source: iStock
If her child is a Singaporean, she is entitled to the maternity leave listed below. This is in accordance with the Child Development Co-Savings Act and is based on the following circumstances:
*Table to be read top-down. E.g. Yes, Yes = 16 Weeks
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She is legally married to the father of the child.
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Yes
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No
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Yes
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No
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Her child is born or has an estimated delivery date (EDD) on or after 1 January 2017.
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Yes
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Yes
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No
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No
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Period of Entitlement (Weeks)
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16
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16
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16
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12
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- For her 1st and 2nd child, the government will cover the 9th to 16th week of her maternity leave, up to a maximum of $20,000 per child.
- For her 3rd and subsequent child, the government will cover all 16 weeks of her maternity leave, up to a maximum of $40,000 per child.
What if her child is adopted or born somewhere other than Singapore? The child is now considered a non-Singaporean. In this case, the employee is entitled to the following maternity leave period.
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She is legally married to the father of the child.
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Yes
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No
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Yes
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No
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Her child is born or has an estimated delivery date (EDD) on or after 1 January 2017.
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Yes
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Yes
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No
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No
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Period of Entitlement (Weeks)
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12
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12
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12
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12
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Stepchildren and children adopted out before the child’s birth or FIA (i.e. formal intent to adopt) are not eligible or entitled, to both Singaporean and non-Singaporean children.
Mothers with stillborn children who are Singapore citizens may still be eligible for GPML if their circumstances meet the requirements. If she does not meet the GPML eligibility requirements, she may be eligible for benefits through the Government-Paid Maternity Benefit (GPMB) scheme.
Other factors to consider for the working mother:
- Twins or triplets will be considered a single delivery. Employers are not required to provide double maternity benefits.
- For premature births, her maternity leave should begin on the date of her child’s birth, or earlier if she and her employer have reached an agreement.
- If a working mother becomes ill while on maternity leave, she is not entitled to paid sick leave during that time.
Special Cases of Maternity Leave Eligibility
Maternity leave entitlements may differ in certain circumstances, such as:
- Twins or triplets will be treated as a single delivery, and there will be no double/triple maternity benefits.
- If the child was born prematurely, the mother is entitled to 16 weeks of maternity leave beginning on the child’s due date or on a date agreed upon with her employer.
- If the child is stillborn, the mother is entitled to the full amount of maternity leave.
- If a mother miscarries or has an abortion, she is not eligible for maternity leave and must instead take sick paid leave; and
- If a mother becomes ill while on maternity leave, she is not entitled to paid sick leave.
Hospitalisation Leave Before Maternity Leave
In some cases, especially in high-risk pregnancies, you are entitled to have a hospitalisation leave apart from your maternity leave.
For instance, if your pregnancy needs to be monitored closely and you need to be admitted to the hospital a few weeks before your due date, your doctor can provide you with the necessary documents to go on Hospitalisation Leave.
When To Start Maternity Leave in Singapore
If the mum-to-be is eligible for maternity leave, she can begin four weeks before the due date and no later than the due date. Furthermore, she can only take maternity leave within 12 months of her child’s birth date, including the date of birth.
According to the Ministry of Manpower (MoM) website:
“An eligible employee is entitled to absent herself from work four weeks immediately before and twelve weeks immediately after delivery, totalling 16 weeks.
Where there is a mutual agreement with her employer, an employee can take the last eight weeks (9th to 16th week) of maternity leave flexibly over a 12-month period from the child’s birth.
The number of days of maternity leave that can be taken flexibly is equivalent to eight weeks’ worth of working days, up to a maximum of 48 days.”
Image source: iStock
How To Apply for Maternity Leave in Singapore?
For employees
- Inform your employer about your leave plans as soon as possible so that they can verify your eligibility and make alternative work arrangements.
The working mother must give her employer at least one week’s notice before going on maternity leave and must notify them of her delivery as soon as possible. Otherwise, she is only entitled to half of the maternity leave pay unless she has a compelling reason for failing to provide timely notice. She should also reach an agreement with her employer on how and when she will take the leave.
- Submit the declaration form (GPML1) to your employer with all necessary supporting documents at least one week before the start of your GPML, or within one month of your child’s birth if this is not possible. For you to declare your eligibility, your employer may use its own declaration form or system.
- Apply for GPML using your company’s leave application procedures.
Self-employed Maternity Leave
Image source: iStock
- Keep a personal diary of her maternity leave dates.
- Submit her claim online through the Government-Paid Leave (GPL) Portal no later than three months after the end of her maternity leave.
- Log in to GPL Portal to check the status of her application. Her application will be processed and she will be notified. It’s a good idea to keep in mind the service standards for the processing time at the step, which is to expect a processing time of 14 weeks from the day all required information is received.
The government will reimburse her for the days she is on maternity leave in this case (up to 8 weeks for 1st and 2nd child order and 16 weeks for 3rd child order onwards). This will be calculated using her Notice of Assessment from the Singapore Inland Revenue Authority (IRAS).
ALSO READ:
Maternity Hospitals in Singapore: A Comprehensive Guide for New Parents
How To Make A Birth Plan: A Complete and Detailed Guide For Singapore Parents
The Ultimate List of Work-From-Home Jobs for Pregnant Mums
Planning Maternity Leave in Singapore
You can take your maternity leave all at once or spread it out over a 12-month period. You should work out a solution with your employer that meets both of your needs.
Maternity Leave Calculator
You can plan your vacation around the following factors:
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Arrangement
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16 weeks
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12 weeks
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By default
Non-working days, rest days, and public holidays are all included.
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Take the 16 weeks in a row, beginning 4 weeks before delivery.
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Take the 12 weeks in a row, beginning 4 weeks before delivery.
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By mutual agreement
Non-working days, rest days, and public holidays are all included.
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Begin as soon as 4 weeks before delivery.
Example: If your due date is July 7, you can begin your leave between June 9 and July 7.
The first eight weeks must be taken in one continuous stretch.
You can spread out the last 8 weeks of your child’s life over 12 months.
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Begin as soon as 4 weeks before delivery.
Example: If your due date is 7 July, you can begin your leave between 9 June and 7 July.
You must complete the first eight weeks in a row.
You can spread out the last four weeks of your child’s life over a 12-month period.
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Flexible leave calculation
Non-working days, rest days and public holidays are not included.
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8 weeks x the number of working days in the week, up to a maximum of 48 working days.
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4 weeks x the number of working days in the week, up to a maximum of 24 working days.
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Flexible leave example
The flexible portion of maternity leave for a 16-week entitlement is calculated as follows:
If the employee works 5 days per week, the number of maternity leave days she can take on a flexible basis is:
8 weeks x 5 days = 40 working days
If the employee takes 2 days of maternity leave per week, the 40 days of flexible maternity leave will be used up in 20 weeks:
40 days / 2 maternity leave days per week = 20 weeks
Image Source: Pexels
As mentioned earlier, maternity leave is an entitlement for employees and self-employed women who meet the criteria. So if you have any questions regarding how to file for maternity leave, do not hesitate to consult the HR person in your office about it.
Updates by Matt Doctor
Here at theAsianparent Singapore, it’s important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn’t serve as an alternative for medical advice or medical treatment. theAsianparent Singapore is not responsible for those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend consulting your doctor for clearer information.
