Frequently Asked Questions on Infant Care Leave
Policy Rationale
Eligibility & Criteria
General Procedures
Why did the Government introduce unpaid Infant Care Leave?
Unpaid Infant Care Leave is introduced as part of the overall package of measures to support parenthood and make Singapore a great place for families. This additional leave gives parents more time to spend with their newborn and to ensure care arrangements are satisfactory.
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Why is the Infant Care Leave unpaid?
It has to be seen in the context of the overall package of enhanced measures to promote marriage and parenthood. Infant care leave is unpaid to ensure that its introduction does not significantly increase business costs and affect the employability of workers, especially working mothers.
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Who is eligible for the six days of unpaid Infant Care Leave?
With effect from 17 Aug 2008, working parents who fulfill the following conditions are entitled to infant care leave:
a) Your child is below two years of age; and
b) Your child (including adopted and stepchild) must be a Singaporean; and
c) The child’s parents are lawfully married; and
d) You have worked for your employer for at least three months.
The leave year for Infant Care Leave will be any 12-month period as agreed mutually between the employer and employee. If there is no agreement, the leave year will be the calendar year by default.
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Will I be entitled to unpaid Infant Care Leave if my child was born before 17 Aug 2008?
You will be entitled to Infant Care Leave so long as your child is less than two years old on 17 Aug 2008 at the point of leave application, and if you fulfill the other qualifying conditions.
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Am I eligible for Infant Care Leave if I am a foreigner / PR working in Singapore?
Yes, if you have a Singaporean child, you will be eligible for the unpaid infant care leave if you meet the other qualifying criteria.
If your child is not a Singaporean, you will not be eligible for infant care leave.
If your child becomes a Singaporean subsequently, and all the other qualifying criteria are met, you will qualify for infant care leave from that point onwards.
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Am I eligible for unpaid Infant Care Leave if I am still on probation at work?
Yes, your probationary status does not affect your eligibility for unpaid Infant Care Leave.
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Am I eligible for unpaid Infant Care Leave if I am a part-time / fixed-term contract / temporary employee?
Yes, so long as you meet the qualifying criteria for Infant Care Leave. The infant care leave entitlement should be adjusted for part-time employees based on the number of working hours, so that their entitlement is equivalent to those of full-time employees. The entitlement shall be calculated according to the following formula:
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Number of hours a week which the part-time employee is required to work x 52 |
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6 (being the number of days of infant care leave which a similar full-time employee is entitled to) |
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Number of hours a day which a similar full-time employee is required to work |
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x |
x |
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Number of hours a week which a similar full-time employee is required to work x 52 |
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Will I be eligible for unpaid Infant Care Leave if I have just adopted an infant?
Yes, so long as you meet the eligibility criteria for Infant Care Leave.
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Am I eligible for unpaid Infant Care Leave if I am self-employed?
As Infant Care Leave is unpaid, you will be able to take the unpaid leave on your own accord.
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If I have a child below the age of two, can I take both the six-day paid childcare leave and six-day unpaid Infant Care Leave?
Yes, you can take both types of leave until the child turns two, as long as you meet the qualifying criteria.
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As a single parent, am I eligible for unpaid Infant Care Leave?
If you become lawfully married to the child’s other parent, and all the other qualifying criteria are met, you will qualify for infant care leave from that point onwards.
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How do I take the unpaid Infant Care Leave?
You can take the six days of unpaid Infant Care Leave within a 12-month period before the child turns two years of age subject to agreement between you and your employer. In the event that no such agreement has been made, a calendar year would be used by default.
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How do I apply for unpaid Infant Care Leave?
You should give your employer notice of your intention to take the leave and obtain his/her approval before going on leave.
You can take six days of unpaid Infant Care Leave within any 12-month period as agreed by you and your employer before the child turns two years of age. If there is no agreement, the leave year will be the calendar year, by default.
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Will I be paid when I take Infant Care Leave?
No, Infant Care Leave is unpaid leave. Under the law, your employer is not obliged to pay your salary for the days when you are on infant care leave.
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Can an employee’s application for unpaid Infant Care Leave be rejected if there is urgent work to be completed during those days?
Yes. As in all other forms of paid leave, the employer should discuss with his/her employee and mutually agree on a suitable time to take the Infant Care Leave so that the employee’s entitlement of six days of infant care leave is not affected. If the employee needs the leave to attend to matters that cannot be postponed (e.g. child immunisation, medical appointments), the employer is strongly encouraged to grant the leave.
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As an employer, can I pro-rate the Infant Care Leave by the duration that an employee has worked for me during the yearly entitlement period?
No. As the leave is unpaid, it is unlikely that employees will take the leave unnecessarily.
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