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Maternity leave in special situations

Your maternity leave entitlements may be affected in different situations, such as birth of twins, birth to a single mother or premature birth.

Find out your maternity leave entitlement under these scenarios.

Child is not a Singapore citizenShow

You are entitled to 12 weeks of maternity leave if you are covered by the Employment Act and meet the eligibility criteria.

If you are not eligible for GPML at the time of deliveryShow

You need to have served your employer for at least 3 months to be eligible for maternity leave.

If you are not married to the child’s father or the child is not a Singapore citizen at the time of delivery, you can still qualify for Government-Paid Maternity Leave if you meet the eligibility criteria within 12 months of the child’s birth.

In this case:

  • You will be eligible for the remaining maternity leave from the date you meet all the criteria.
  • You must take the remaining maternity leave entitlement before the child turns 12 months old.
  • You will not be eligible for the maternity leave that has lapsed.

Your date of delivery is 10 August 2013 and your child becomes a Singapore citizen on 10 February 2014. You have previously taken 8 weeks or less of maternity leave.

If your company agrees, you can take 8 weeks of flexible maternity leave anytime between 10 February and 9 August 2014.

Foreigner or permanent resident working in SingaporeShow

Regardless of your nationality, you are entitled to 12 weeks of maternity leave if you are covered by the Employment Act and have served the employer for at least 3 months.

You may qualify for 16 weeks of Government-Paid Maternity Leave if your child is a Singapore citizen and you meet the eligibility criteria.

Single or unmarried motherShow

You are entitled up to 16 weeks of maternity leave if you meet the eligibility criteria.

Contract, temporary or part-time employeeShow

You are eligible for maternity leave if you meet the eligibility criteria. You will be paid at the gross rate for each day that you would normally have been required to work under your contract.

Employee on probationShow

You are eligible for maternity leave if you meet the eligibility criteria and have served your employer for at least 3 months before the birth of your child.

Birth of twinsShow

If you give birth to twins or triplets, it will be treated as a single delivery. You will not receive double maternity benefits.

Premature birthShow

For premature births, if you meet the eligibility criteria, your maternity leave should start on the birth date of your child, or earlier if you have a mutual agreement with your employer.

StillbirthShow

You are eligible for full maternity leave if the child is stillborn or dies shortly after birth.

If you meet the eligibility criteria under Government Paid Maternity Leave, the stillbirth will be counted for maternity leave benefits for the next delivery. Otherwise, stillbirth will not be counted in determining your eligibility for maternity leave benefits for the next delivery.

Abortion or miscarriageShow

If you’re still working, you can take sick leave to recover. However, you are not eligible for maternity leave.

Falling sick during maternity leaveShow

You are not entitled to paid sick leave while on maternity leave.

What's next

Maternity leave protections and obligations