Parent Care Leave for Private Sector Organisations

Ms Ellen Lee asked the Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports whether there have been efforts made to persuade private sector employers to give their employees Parent Care Leave and what is the profile of employers who have agreed to grant their employees such leave.

The Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports (Mdm Halimah Yacob) (for the Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports): Mr Speaker, Sir, with the rapidly ageing population as well as decreasing family sizes, we recognise some families need more support to cope with the demands of care giving. At the workplace, employers are encouraged to adopt family-friendly practices and flexible work arrangements. Incentives, such as MOM's Work-Life Works! (WoW!) Fund, have also been put in place. We are also aware that some collective agreements have begun to provide for family friendly benefits.

Ms Ellen Lee asked what efforts are being made to persuade private sector employers to give their employees Parent Care Leave and what are their profiles. According to MOM's Conditions of Employment Survey in 2010, the proportion of private sector establishments that offered parent care or parental sick leave has almost doubled from 5.9% in 2008 to 10.6% in 2010. Not surprisingly, this was more common among larger establishments with 200 and more employees. Industries such as community, social and personal services, hotels and restaurants as well as information and communications services appeared to be better able to offer such leave. Earlier this year, the Civil Service introduced two days of annual Parent Care Leave.

These are positive developments in the private and public sectors. I would like to encourage more employers to adopt similar practices for the benefit of their employees. Where the employers are unionised, they could negotiate with their unions to consider including family-friendly benefits in their collective agreements. Eldercare leave is just one of many options to support families in care giving. We will also continue to encourage family-friendly work practices, taking into consideration our demographic trends as well as the challenges and considerations of employers.

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Sir, the Government will also enhance the reach of eldercare services and develop new care options to better support working families in the care of seniors. By 2020, my Ministry plans to significantly increase the outreach of home-based social care services and expand the number of day social and rehabilitative care places. We will also further enhance care giving training and other support services. We will be sharing further details on this latter point at the upcoming COS for MCYS.