Committee of Supply 2023 debate, Day 1: Louis Ng on SG made for families

Giving childcare leave, sick leave, paternity leave, parent care leave and fertility leave is not just about the minutes and the seconds, but about giving people time to spend with their loved ones while balancing work commitments, says MP Louis Ng. Speaking in Parliament on Friday (Feb 24), he revisited the question of paternity leave, saying it should be increased to 12 weeks. This need not be done overnight, but can be gradually increased, he said. He also stressed the urgent need to look into increasing the usage of paternity leave. He asked if more can be done to help employers, similar to the way the Ministry of Defence supports employers in reservist obligations. He also said the Government can do more to help employers be more sympathetic by introducing gender-neutral fertility leave. Turning to work-from-home arrangements, he urged the Government to implement the tripartite guidelines this year and consider legislating them.