National Day Rally: Gov't extends parental leave with 10 weeks of shared leave by 2026

In total, parents will have 30 weeks of paid leave.

New parents will now have an extra 10 weeks of shared leave, in addition to the current parental leave of four weeks for fathers and 16 weeks for mothers.

The government will implement the shared leave in two phases. 

Parents with babies born from 1 April 2025 will receive six weeks of government-funded shared leave, which will be extended to 10 weeks starting 1 April 2026.

“That is 30 weeks, or about 7.5 months, of paid leave, which parents can take to spend time with their children,” said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in his first National Day Rally speech.

“I hope this move will go some way in reassuring young couples – we are building a Singapore made for families, and we will help you keep a good balance between your working and parenting responsibilities,” Wong added.