Government-Paid Childcare Leave Scheme
Previous provision under the 2004 Marriage and Parenthood package
1 Based on the previous legislation, employees who are covered under the Employment Act will be eligible for 2 days of employer-paid childcare leave if they have a child under the age of 7 years.
Benefits of enhanced scheme
2 In the spirit of allowing parents to spend more time with their children, the Government-Paid Childcare Leave (GPCL) Scheme has been initiated by the Ministry of Manpower and the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports. This scheme came into effect from 31 October 2008.
3 Under the GPCL scheme, eligible parents can take 6 days of paid childcare leave per year until the year the child turns 7 years old. As such, the number of days of childcare leave that a working parent can benefit with a Singapore citizen child born on or after 31 October 2008 will add up to a total of 42 days over a 7-year period. As good practice, we encourage parents to record the childcare leave that they have taken on a log card for reference. Please click here for a sample of the log card.
For parents who are employees
4 The first 3 days of childcare leave will be paid by the employer, whilst the remaining 3 days are paid by the Government. Employers should pay the employee as per normal during the days when childcare leave are taken. They may submit an online claim within 3 months after the 6 days of childcare leave are fully consumed.
5 The reimbursement from Government is capped 3 calendar days per year; and at $500 per day (including CPF contributions) ie maximum of $1,500 per claim per employee in a year. Any leave that is not consumed within the leave year will be deemed to be forfeited and will not be allowed to be brought forward to the next year.
For parents who are self-employed
6 For self-employed persons, the first 3 days of childcare leave will be borne by themselves while the remaining 3 days are paid by the Government. They may submit an online claim within 3 months after the 6 days of childcare leave are fully consumed. The reimbursement is also capped at 3 calendar days a year; and $500 per day (including CPF contributions) ie maximum of $1,500 per claim per year. Any leave that is not consumed within the leave year will be deemed to be forfeited and will not be allowed to be brought forward to the next year.
Eligibility criteria
7 To claim reimbursement of childcare leave from the Government, all the following criteria must be met :
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a) |
The child is less than 7 years old at any time during the relevant period; |
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b) |
The child is a Singapore citizen (includes adopted and stepchildren); |
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c) |
The parent is lawfully married; |
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d) |
The parent has worked for the employer for at least 3 months before taking leave or if self-employed, the parent must have been engaged in his/her trade, business, profession or vocation for at least 3 months before taking leave; and |
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e) |
The parent must have lost income as a result of going on childcare leave |
Note :
If criterion (b) and/or (c) are not met at the point of the child’s birth, the parent will be eligible for childcare leave from the point when all the criteria are subsequently met. Any childcare leave that the parent had taken before meeting all the criteria will not be paid except for the first 2 days of childcare leave paid by employer if parents are covered under the Employment Act.
Transitional arrangement
For parents who are employees
8 The childcare leave entitlement of 6 days per year will be pro-rated for the period 17 August 2008 to 31 December 2008 for eligible employees. This works out to 3 days for 2008. If an employee has already taken 2 days of childcare leave under the Employment Act prior to 17 August 2008, he/she will only be entitled to 1 additional day of childcare leave until the end of the year (31 December 2008). These 3 days will be employer-paid. If employers are able to grant up to the full 6 days of childcare leave, the Government will pay for the additional days of childcare leave taken in 2008, up to a maximum of 3 days.
9 Before the legislation takes effect, employers are encouraged to voluntarily grant the additional employer-paid childcare leave to their employees. After 31 October 2008 when the legislation takes effect until 31 December 08, employers will be required to grant at least 3 days of child care leave to employees with Singapore citizen children aged below 7 years of age. From 1 January 2009 onwards, the childcare leave entitlement will be 6 days for eligible employees.
For parents who are self-employed
10 Eligible parents who are self-employed persons may take the full 6 days of childcare leave up till 31 December 2008 if they are able to do so. The Government will reimburse them for the last 3 days of leave.
Submission of claim for reimbursement
11 Employers and self-employed persons should submit the application for reimbursement within 3 months after :
- the last day of childcare leave taken; or
- the end of the relevant leave period.
Late claims will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
12 For employees who did not consume the full 6 days of leave due to change of employment, change in eligibility status, expiry of relevant period etc, the employer may submit a claim for reimbursement as soon as possible. Employers will need to provide the reason for the consumption of less than 6 days of childcare leave.
Things to note
What should I take note of as an employer?
What should I do if I am an employee?
What should I do as a self-employed parent? |