Take-up Rates for Childcare and Paternity Leave Schemes in Civil Service

Mr Seah Kian Peng asked the Prime Minister given that amongst all eligible public officers, only 72% used the 6-day childcare leave, 48% used the two-day extended childcare leave and 78% used their paternity leave, what are the underlying causes for these relatively low take-up rates.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs (Mr Teo Chee Hean) (for the Prime Minister): Mdm Speaker, the public service supports the well-being and work-life needs of our officers. On top of vacation leave, officers are provided with a range of pro-family leave benefits to help them balance their family and work commitments. And these include childcare, paternity, maternity and parent-care leave. Officers utilise their leave benefits on a needs basis. Rather than focusing on the utilisation rate for specific leave types, we will continue to ensure that pro-family leave benefits are made known and available to officers so that they can utilise them when they need to do so.

Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade): I thank Deputy Prime Minister for the answer. A few supplementary questions. As Members know, I have been pushing a lot on paternity leave, and I am glad this was legislated.

I appreciate the efforts by the Government in giving our civil servants all these pro-family measures. The Deputy Prime Minister mentioned about needs basis, I recognise that. I do think that all those, whether it is childcare leave and, in particular, paternity leave, I think we would want every father to take the paternity leave that is available to them to spend some time with their children.

Which is why my question is: what are the underlying causes that fathers are not taking up their paternity leave? This is something which we would want to encourage our civil servants to do, to proactively tell them, "Please go and take leave and spend time with your children and family".

I am asking what are the underlying causes and to, perhaps, from the top-down signalling approach, encourage our public officers to celebrate the joy of having children to, please, take their paternity leave amongst other things.

Mr Teo Chee Hean: Mdm Speaker, I did not see a question there. I do not think I need to respond to it. I do not disagree with Mr Seah.

Mdm Speaker: Order. End of Question Time. Dr Amy Khor has asked for the floor.

[ Pursuant to Standing Order No 22(3), Written Answer to Question No 19 on the Order Paper is reproduced in the Appendix (Pg xx). ]