1 in 2 dads took paternity leave in 2022

Take-up rate has more than doubled since its introduction in 2013, at 53%

- Shermaine Ang

When his daughter was born in December 2023, Mr Amos Tan was unable to take his two weeks of paternity leave as his manager had been diagnosed with cancer, and Mr Tan had to take over the responsibility of managing the department.

As a compromise, he took halfdays of paternity leave to take his daughter to the polyclinic thrice a week when she had jaundice.

Mr Tan, a sales manager in engineering firm Mecomb, said the first three weeks of juggling work and the baby after the confinement nanny left were stressful.

"I (live) in Tampines, but my office is in Jurong West. At night, I had to take care of my kid, wake up every two hours, take her for her check-up in the morning, and at llam, drive back to the office." Since government-paid paternity leave was introduced in 2013, takeup rates have more than doubled from about 25 per cent to more than 50 per cent of fathers in recent years, according to the latest data from the National Population and Talent Division.

In 2022, the take-up rate for paternity leave stood at 53 per cent the same as the two years before while maternity leave was 74 per cent.

New fathers said paternity leave let them support their wives and learn the ropes of baby care from confinement nannies. They could also take it in blocks within a year of their child's birth.

Two more weeks of paternity leave were introduced on a voluntary basis from 2024, but some dads whose companies offer such leave are saving it for when they need it.

Mr Andrew Lam, 38, a finance manager at Mandai Wildlife Group, took two weeks of paternity leave when his daughter was born in January, but is saving the remaining two weeks for when she falls sick, and when the infant care centre closes.