Govt exploring support for firms managing child-related leave absences: Indranee

The Government is studying ways to better support companies with sustainable staffing coverage arrangements, but this also requires firms to have a mindset change — planning on the assumption that there will always, at any given time, be a gap to fill, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Indranee Rajah.

She was responding to parliamentary questions on child-related leave filed by parliamentarians Andre Low (NCMP), Poh Li San (Sembawang West SMC), Lee Hong Chuang (Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC), and Cassandra Lee (Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC) on Sept 10.

They had asked about the impact of childcare leave on businesses and the wider workforce, including whether this could cause a divide between employees who are parents, and those who are not.

In her reply, Indranee, who is also Second Minister for Finance and Second Minister for National Development, reiterated that the government will reimburse employers for the full duration of all child-related leave, up to the reimbursement cap.

"Employers may use this increased reimbursement to support covering arrangements, including by hiring temporary staff or recognising employees who take on additional covering responsibilities," she said.

Workgroup studying ways to help firms with backfilling

The minister also revealed that the Marriage and Parenthood Support Workgroup is studying ways to better support companies with backfilling arrangements, sustainably.

In the longer term, businesses will also need to recognise and accept that leave for caregiving need, such as parental leave, is now part and parcel of normal human resource policies, she said.

This will require them to plan and design their workplace norms and practices around this, Indranee added.

"This would include job redesign, flexible work arrangements, short-term covering arrangements, and, where appropriate, AI and automation."

But this mindset change will not only benefit employees who are parents, Indranee pointed out.

"All employees, not only parents with children, but also singles and married persons without children, will benefit from improved workplace culture and norms that help them to better balance work and personal responsibilities, including caregiving needs," she noted.

The workgroup, recognising that every sector has different challenges, is now working with trade associations and chambers to develop practical solutions that are tailored to the needs of the different sectors and firms.

It is expected to release its full set of recommendations in 2027, Indranee said.

总理公署部长英兰妮·拉贾表示，政府正在研究如何更好地支持企业制定可持续的人员配备安排，但这同时也要求企业转变思维方式——制定计划时要假设在任何时候都会有人员缺口需要填补。

她于9月10日回应了议员Andre Low（非选区议员）、Poh Li San（三巴旺西单选区议员）、Lee Hong Chuang（裕廊东-武吉巴督集选区议员）和Cassandra Lee（裕廊东-武吉巴督集选区议员）提出的关于育儿假的议会质询。

他们询问了育儿假对企业和更广泛的劳动力的影响，包括这是否会导致为人父母的员工与非为人父母的员工之间产生隔阂。

财政部第二部长兼国家发展部第二部长英兰妮在答复中重申，政府将全额报销所有与子女相关的假期，直至达到报销上限。

她表示：“雇主可以利用这笔增加的报销款项来支持人员替补安排，包括雇用临时员工或表彰承担额外替补责任的员工。”

工作组正在研究如何帮助企业填补人员空缺。

部长还透露，婚姻和育儿支持工作组正在研究如何以可持续的方式更好地支持企业进行人员补充安排。

她表示，从长远来看，企业也需要认识到并接受，照顾需要而请的假，例如育儿假，现在已成为正常人力资源政策不可分割的一部分。

Indranee补充说，这将要求他们围绕这一点来规划和设计工作场所的规范和做法。

“这将包括工作岗位重新设计、灵活的工作安排、短期替补安排，以及在适当情况下采用人工智能和自动化。”

Indranee指出，这种思维方式的转变不仅会使为人父母的员工受益。

她指出：“所有员工，不仅是为人父母者，还有单身人士和已婚无子女人士，都将受益于工作场所文化和规范的改善，这有助于他们更好地平衡工作和个人责任，包括照顾家人的需求。”

工作组认识到每个行业面临的挑战各不相同，目前正与行业协会和商会合作，制定切实可行的解决方案，以满足不同行业和企业的需求。

英德拉妮表示，预计将于 2027 年发布全部建议。