X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • Awards
    • Parents' Choice Awards 2023
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

Working dads entitled to 'breastfeeding' leave

4 min read

Europe’s top court passed a legislation back in 2010 ruling that dads are entitled to “breastfeeding” leave.

Working dads entitled to breastfeeding leave

Yes that’s right – the European Union Court of Justice ruled Thursday that a Spanish law caused an “unjustified discrimination on grounds of sex” because fathers are not afforded the same right as women unless the baby’s mother is an employee.

In Spain, working parents are allowed to take breastfeeding leave during the first nine months following the birth of a child, allowing an absence from work for an hour or a half-hour reduction in the working day. Previous laws ruled that dads can apply for the benefit only if the mum is working full-time.

The European Union Court of Justice in Luxembourg ruled that treating dads and mums differently in this case “is liable to perpetuate a traditional distribution of the roles of men and women by keeping men in a role subsidiary to that of women in relation to the exercise of their parental duties”. The case was put forth by Pedro Manuel Roca Alvarez, who raised it on the basis that his request to take breastfeeding leave from his job in Galicia was rejected because the mother of his child was self-employed.

The top court said such a refusal could have the effect of forcing self-employed mothers to limit their work because the dads cannot share the burden.

The Spanish law was instituted in 1900 to facilitate breastfeeding by the mother, but it has evolved over the years and the right has been granted for bottle feeding too, the EU court said. It continued with the mentality that breastfeeding leave should now be considered as “time purely devoted to the child” in order to reconcile family life and work following maternity leave, as reported by the Telegraph.

In Singapore, working fathers, including those who are self-employed, are entitled to 1 week of paid paternity leave if they fulfil the eligibility criteria.

Dads may also be eligible for an additional week of paid paternity leave if their employers voluntarily agree to provide it. All paid paternity leaves are funded by the Government.

A dad is eligible for Government-paid Paternity leave (GPPL) if they meet the following criteria:

  • Your child is a Singapore citizen.
  • You are or had been lawfully married to the child’s mother between conception and birth.
  • For employees: you have served your employer for a continuous period of at least 3 months before the birth of your child.
  • For self-employed: you have been engaged in your work for a continuous period of at least 3 months before the birth of your child, and have lost income during the paternity leave period.

What does having a GPPL entail?

  • 1 week of GPPL is given to you.
  • Dads with kids born from the 1st January 2015 onwards, can get up to 1 additional week of GPPL, if the employer agrees to it.
  • Each week of GPPL is capped at $2,500, including CPF contributions.

Taking of GPPL can take many forms, here is the breakdown:

Arrangement Up to 2 weeks
Default 1-2 continuous weeks within 16 weeks after the birth.
Flexibly, by mutual agreement 1-2 continuous weeks any time within 12 months after the birth.

Split the 1-2 weeks into working days and take them in any combination within 12 months after the birth of the child.

Calculating actual leave days 1-2 weeks X the number of working days in the week.
Capped at 6 working days per week.

To go about applying for GPPL,

  • Visit the www.profamilyleave.gov.sg/info
  • Call 1800 253 4757
  • Email [email protected]

Paternity leaves should not be wasted, here are some guidelines for spending them.

What do you do with your leaves? Tell us below.

Partner Stories
UHT vs Fresh Milk for Toddler: 5 Things You Should Know About Milk for Your Child
UHT vs Fresh Milk for Toddler: 5 Things You Should Know About Milk for Your Child
MFGM: Role In Strengthening Your Child Immune System. Here’s How!
MFGM: Role In Strengthening Your Child Immune System. Here’s How!
MFGM and Milk : The Link between Nutrition and Brain Development
MFGM and Milk : The Link between Nutrition and Brain Development
5 Reasons Your Child Should Get MFGM: Brain Development in Children, Immunity and More
5 Reasons Your Child Should Get MFGM: Brain Development in Children, Immunity and More

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

Miss Vanda

  • Home
  • /
  • Breastfeeding & Formula
  • /
  • Working dads entitled to 'breastfeeding' leave
Share:
  • Maternity Leave in Singapore: What You Need to Know

    Maternity Leave in Singapore: What You Need to Know

  • An open letter to the mother returning from maternity leave

    An open letter to the mother returning from maternity leave

  • Wife Forgives Husband Who Had Two Affairs And Got A Woman Pregnant

    Wife Forgives Husband Who Had Two Affairs And Got A Woman Pregnant

  • 'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

    'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

  • Maternity Leave in Singapore: What You Need to Know

    Maternity Leave in Singapore: What You Need to Know

  • An open letter to the mother returning from maternity leave

    An open letter to the mother returning from maternity leave

  • Wife Forgives Husband Who Had Two Affairs And Got A Woman Pregnant

    Wife Forgives Husband Who Had Two Affairs And Got A Woman Pregnant

  • 'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

    'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and updates on baby care and health.