Maternity Leave / Rights in Singapore by MOM

Recently was toying with the thoughts of changing job.

Then came the biggest and most common worries of most women trying to conceive when it comes to landing in a new job and getting pregnant shortly after you join the company.

Seems like it's a common worry among us that the company may either terminate us or we may not be eligible for 16 weeks maternity leave required by our government.

So I did a bit of research and decided to share this here. (also serve as a note to self for future reference *grinz*)

For those of us who worry when we sign the letter of appointment and already realize your are a few weeks pregnant, no worries at all.

As MOM states that as long as you have worked for the company for at least 3 calendar months or 90 days, we are entitled to paid maternity leave of 16 weeks.

This is applicable only if your child is a Singapore citizen and you are lawfully married.

Also the company cannot terminate you (unless due to extreme unreasonable behavior at work like eating snake, stealing etc) if it's less than 6 months from your EDD. (estimated delivery date)

Since pregnancy is 10 months, so I reckon you are quite safe if you inform your employer that you are preggie when it's after 4 months, by then you would have worked for your new employer for 90 days at least!

Safe zone entered! That cease my worries of having to contemplate if I should change job during this period.

By law they can't terminate you without paying you for your paid maternity so either way you still get your 16 weeks of paid maternity.

By left, they may treat you differently la, so personally wise I guess before i sign any letter of appointment should I really decide to change job, I will be honest to the new employer and share with them that I am trying to for a baby.

Saves you the headache and worry of change in treatment should you get pregnant in the new company.

Snippets from MOM website

Eligibility under the Child Development Co-Savings Act

The Child Development Co-Savings Act covers parents of Singapore Citizen children, including managerial, executive and confidential staff.

Under the Child Development Co-Savings Act, an employee is entitled to maternity leave benefits if:

1. The child is a Singapore Citizen;
2. The child's parents are lawfully married; and
3. The employee has served her employer for at least 90 days before the child's birth.

OR
The mother is self-employed and has been engaged in a particular business / trade / profession for a continuous duration of at least 90 calendar days before the birth of her child; and have lost income as a result of not engaging in her trade, business, profession or vocation during the maternity leave period.

If the employee does not meet criterion (i) and/or (ii) at the time of confinement, but meets them within 12 months of the child's birth, she will be eligible for the remaining maternity leave from the date she meets all the criteria. The remaining maternity leave entitlement must be taken before the child turns 12 months old. She will not be eligible for the maternity leave that has lapsed.  

Entitlement under Child Development Co-Savings Act

An eligible employee is entitled to absent herself from work four weeks immediately before and 12 weeks immediately after delivery, totalling 16 weeks.

Where there is a mutual agreement with her employer, an employee can take the last eight weeks (9th to 16th week) of maternity leave flexibly over a 12-month period from the child's birth. The number of days of maternity leave that can be taken flexibly is equivalent to eight weeks' worth of working days, up to a maximum of 48 days.

http://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/employment-rights-conditions/leave-and-holiday/Pages/maternity-leave.aspx