CHILDCARE LEAVE FOR FEMALE EMPLOYEES (Introduction of legislation)

Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon asked the Minister for Labour whether he will consider introducing legislation to provide childcare leave for female employees to enable them to look after their sick children, similar to the leave presently in existence in the public sector.

The Minister for Labour (Dr Lee Boon Yang): Mr Speaker, Sir, while the civil service does grant full-pay unrecorded leave to a female employee to look after sick children below the age of six, Government does not intend to introduce legislation to compel all employers to offer similar benefits to their employees. Employees are already entitled to various leave benefits under the Employment Act. Some companies provide leave benefits beyond the minimum spelt out by the Act, such as compassionate leave. We should leave the private sector to work out suitable childcare leave scheme for each company.

Dr Kanwaljit Soin (Nominated Member): Sir, in giving this sick child leave to women in the public sector, could the Hon. Minister consider extending it to men also for the following reasons:

(1) There are some single parent families which consist of the father only who has to look after the sick child;

(2) Some mothers may be away or who are sick themselves and thus the fathers would then have to play the role of looking after the sick child; and

(3) When a child has both the father and mother, the duty and privilege of looking after the sick child should fall on both parents, and not just the mother alone. For what can enhance family solidarity more than a concerned father taking leave to look after his sick child, and this will help to strengthen the family unit.

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Mr Speaker, Sir, I agree with the sentiments expressed by Dr Soin on the need to show compassion and concern for a father who wants to take leave from work to look after a sick child, in the case where the mother is unable to do so. I would ask the Minister for Finance, as the Public Service Department comes under his portfolio, to look into this suggestion.