MATERNITY LEAVE

MATERNITY LEAVE: **

(Flexibility): **

44.

Mr Seah Kian Peng asked the Minister for Manpower whether more flexibility in maternity leave provisions can be given to mothers, as the current regulations require such leave to be taken at a two-month stretch.

Dr Ng Eng Hen: Maternity leave was extended from eight to 12 weeks in 2004, after extensive consultation with employers and trade unions. The additional four weeks of maternity leave can be taken flexibly over a period of six months. As for the first eight weeks of maternity leave, the feedback from employers and workers was that the existing arrangement for it to be taken at a stretch is acceptable and has worked well. Hence, there was no need for it to be changed.

Since the implementation of the additional four weeks of maternity leave, it has been found that more than 92% of mothers have opted to take their leave in a continuous stretch of 12 weeks. This indicates that the demand for more flexible maternity leave periods is not high.