Changing workplace attitudes a ‘much harder’ challenge in supporting parenthood: Indranee

Changing workplace attitudes a ‘much harder’ challenge in supporting parenthood: Indranee Measures announced at the National Day Rally aim to ease the cost of raising a family, but workplace mindsets and norms must also change so Singaporeans feel they can have children without compromising their careers, says the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office. SINGAPORE: Changing workplace attitudes and practices towards working parents will be a key part of Singapore’s push to become more family-friendly, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah said on Monday (Aug 24). She was speaking to CNA a day after a range of measures to support parents was announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the National Day Rally. While the latest measures address financial, housing and caregiving concerns, the government is also looking at how workplace norms can change so that Singaporeans feel they can have children without sacrificing their careers, Ms Indranee said. Financial resources are within the government’s control, but “the much harder part to do is changing mindsets and attitudes”, said Ms Indranee, who heads the National Population and Talent Division, which oversees the marriage and parenthood portfolio. “So, workplace norms and culture and practices is an area that we're looking at,” she told CNA’s Singapore Tonight. The effort is part of a wider review by the Marriage and Parenthood Reset Workgroup, which is due to release its full report in early 2027. MEASURES AIMED AT REASSURING SINGAPOREANS Ms Indranee described the measures announced by Mr Wong on Sunday as the “first wave” of that review. Among them are more childcare leave, lower preschool fees and greater financial support for families as their children grow. “In one sentence, I would say that this slew of measures is intended to give Singaporeans greater confidence and assurance in their marriage and parenthood journey,” Ms Indranee said. She said this represented a shift from concentrating resources and measures at the point of birth to supporting families over a longer period. Having children is a journey that stretches across many years, with families facing different needs as their children move from preschool to primary and secondary school, and then tertiary education. The measures are therefore intended to “walk that journey with parents so that they know that the government is there for them and that they have support along the way”, Ms Indranee said. SUCCESS CANNOT BE MEASURED BY TFR ALONE Asked how the government would determine whether the new measures are effective, Ms Indranee said this could not be assessed using a single indicator such as Singapore’s total fertility rate (TFR). Over time, one sign of success would be Singaporeans feeling more reassured about having children, she said. Another would be workplace cultures and norms becoming more supportive of families. Eventually, the government also hopes to see the TFR “take a different trajectory, and ultimately for Singapore to be a family-friendly place”, she added. “The key thing really is we hope that families will really be seen as a source of joy and of strength, and people have the knowledge that the system, the frameworks, and society as a whole support them.” Singapore’s TFR fell to a record low of 0.87 in 2025. EMPLOYERS NEED TO RETHINK HOW WORK IS ORGANISED Under the changes announced on Sunday, each parent will get eight days of childcare leave a year if they have one child, 10 days if they have two, and 12 days if they have three or more. The leave will cover Singaporean children aged 12 and below, with the implementation date to be announced later. Ms Indranee acknowledged that providing parents with more leave creates practical challenges for employers. “When somebody takes time off on parental leave, that leaves a gap,” she said. “If we want our parents to feel supported, that's great, but we still have to address the issue of what happens when they go on leave.” There would not be a single solution across the economy, she said, because industries have different manpower and operational needs. Flexible arrangements in nursing, for example, would look different from those in professional services, manufacturing or precision engineering. Companies would therefore have to work out what suits their circumstances, including through discussions with their employees. The government will also fully reimburse employers for childcare leave, up to the existing reimbursement cap. Currently, employers bear the cost of the first three of six days of childcare leave for parents with children aged six and below. Ms Indranee said the change would give employers more room to pay for temporary cover or compensate colleagues who take on additional work. Companies could also use artificial intelligence to supplement workers, redesign jobs so that responsibilities can be divided more easily when someone is away, or establish pools of temporary workers who can step in when needed. Flexible work arrangements could also go beyond working from home, Ms Indranee said. An employee could, for example, work half a day before leaving for an appointment. Companies would also have to look at their human resources policies, how line managers handle leave requests and whether arrangements for covering absent workers are built into their processes. “Time spent away does mean that productivity will be affected unless somebody else steps in,” she said. “So, we have to design workplaces in a way that allows for somebody to step out to take leave and yet have that work addressed.” Ms Indranee said employers and employees should work together on arrangements that balance workplace demands with workers’ needs. “You'd be surprised when there's a collaborative effort between employer and employee, the ideas that are tossed out can be very creative and, most importantly, meet the needs of both sides.” SINGLES, FERTILITY SUPPORT ALSO PART OF REVIEW Ms Indranee also addressed concerns from singles and married couples without children about the National Day Rally announcements. She reiterated what Mr Wong had said that singles had not been forgotten, adding that the government was looking at what more could be done for them, especially in housing. For example, the income ceiling for eligible single Housing and Development Board home buyers aged 35 and above was raised from S$7,000 to S$8,000 on Monday, allowing more singles to qualify for subsidised housing. Discussions with singles had also found that many wanted more opportunities to meet people and form connections, she said, adding that work and other commitments often left them with little time to expand their social circles. The government would consider how society could create more opportunities for “meaningful activities and meaningful interactions”, Ms Indranee said. Support for those facing fertility issues is another area being examined as part of the marriage and parenthood review. Ms Indranee said the review would also look at education, competitiveness and stress. The aim is for parents not to see education as necessarily stressful, and for parents and children to be able to go through the education system “with reasonable equanimity”, she added.