{
  "id": 5733748,
  "title": "Indranee Rajah on parents feeling guilty about taking childcare leave: Workplace norms & culture have to change",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/indranee-rajah-on-parents-feeling-guilty-about-taking-childcare-leave",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-04T17:01:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Mothership",
    "slug": "mothership",
    "url": "https://mothership.sg/2026/09/indranee-parents-guilty-childcare-leave/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Indranee Rajah, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, emphasized the need for workplace norms and culture to change alongside Singapore's increased childcare leave provisions. Current workplace practices often require colleagues to cover the workload when an employee takes time off, which may discourage parents from taking advantage of the leave. During an interview with CNA938, Indranee discussed the government's recent package of measures for marriage and parenthood. Among the measures, tiered childcare leave entitlements based on the number of children, a new SG Child Support Package, and reduced fees for government-supported preschools were announced. While the government is footing the cost of childcare leave to alleviate the financial burden on employers, Indranee stressed the importance of adapting workplace practices to accommodate employees' family-related needs. She suggested implementing job redesign, job sharing, and flexible work arrangements, and ensuring these arrangements are effectively executed. Additionally, she highlighted the significance of giving employees sufficient notice when taking childcare leave to help employers plan for absences. However, Indranee acknowledged that advance notice may not always be feasible and proposed establishing contingency arrangements as part of routine human resource practices to cope with unexpected absences. These arrangements would also benefit employees who need to take time off for family reasons unrelated to childcare. Indranee clarified that the government's approach is not solely about providing financial incentives for marriage and parenthood but also about understanding the diverse factors that influence individuals' decisions to marry or have children. The workgroup aims to create a more family-friendly society where marriage and parenthood are viewed positively, and families feel supported and assured. Indranee outlined four areas the workgroup is addressing: relationship formation, fertility and maternal health, workplace norms and culture, and education. Ultimately, the goal is to foster a Singapore where marriage and parenthood are celebrated as sources of joy and strength, and families face fewer practical barriers, leading to an improved total fertility rate.",
  "summary": "\"Right now, everything is very, very tight,\" Indranee said.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}