Ikea offers month-long paternity leave to employees

SINGAPORE — Swedish furniture retailer Ikea is giving four weeks of paid paternity leave to all fathers with newborns — effectively doubling the duration of such leave funded by the Singapore Government.

This entitlement applies to all male employees in its stores and offices within South-east Asia, including Singapore. 

The policy, which has been effective since January this year, aims to promote “gender equality” in the workplace and has benefited a total of 27 employees in the region, and 14 of these were from Singapore.

Workers can claim this benefit no matter how many children they have but it must be taken within the first six months of the child’s birth.

Ms Lydia Song, human resources director for Ikea South-east Asia, said: “Ikea has always taken an interest in life at home for families, both in our products and in our workplace. We embrace Swedish values, and that includes gender equality.”

She added that this initiative would “make a big difference” to new fathers, enabling them to take on more active roles at home and have a larger presence during the child’s early years.

Mr Dingson Balahadia, 36, a visual merchandiser at Ikea’s Alexandra branch, made use of the longer leave period when his son was born two months ago.

He and his wife took care of the baby, took him for medical check-ups, and did household chores. He will claim another week of paternity leave when his wife returns to work.

“In those first days, the baby was crying every hour. It was really tough,” he said. “My wife said that without me, she wouldn’t have made it.”

His colleague Mr Masree Mascomb, 38, a recovery team leader, had a daughter in June and took two weeks of paternity leave but plans to claim more days later.

He said: “When I take paternity leave, it’s not just another day off. I’m working at home too. It’s precious time that I get to spend with my daughter, apart from giving her a bath and changing her diapers.”

Under guidelines issued by the Manpower Ministry, since Jan 1 this year, eligible working fathers are entitled to two weeks of paid paternity leave funded by the Government, in its effort to encourage young couples to have babies.  These fathers have to be Singapore citizens and be lawfully married to the baby’s mother between the child’s conception and birth.

Previously, only one week of paternity leave was made compulsory, while some companies offered an extra week on a voluntary basis.

Additionally, since July 1, working fathers may apply to share up to four weeks of their wives’ 16 weeks of government-paid maternity leave, subject to their wives’ agreement and certain conditions.

It used to be just one week of shared leave before this revision.