, several said on Monday that more needs to be done to support families, such as by mandating more leave for childcare and improving work culture so as not to penalise parents who take parental leave.
Speaking at Monday's debate, MP for Sembawang Group Representation Constituency Mariam Jaafar, asked: “Is it a missed opportunity to signal the will to take a firm stance by making the shift voluntary rather than mandatory? The Government currently reimburses employers a maximum of S$5,000 for two weeks of paternity leave taken by their employees.
“This worry is likely to persist even when employees are wholly entitled to their leave privileges,” said Mr Yip. "How many times has the office congratulated a co-worker on the birth of their child but also, in the same breath, complained about how much more productive they need to be as they cover their colleagues' work while they are away on leave?" she asked, adding that workplace cultures and arrangements need to catch up with the proposed legislation.