i doing some research on maternity leave for that friend of mine. (do for fun 1)

Maternity Leave was extended from 8 to 12 weeks with effect from 1 October 2004 for all births so that mothers can spend more time with their child
For the first 2 confinements, the first 8 weeks of maternity leave will continue to be paid by the employer. (as per previous law if i not wrong) The additional 4 weeks, capped at $10,000 (including CPF contributions), will be funded by the Government for the first and second confinements of a married working mother. For the third and fourth confinements of a married working mother, the Government will fund the full 12 weeks of salary, capped at $30,000 (including CPF contributions), if the mother has fewer than 4 living children at the time of confinement.

To qualify for Government reimbursement, the child must be a Singapore Citizen.
If there is mutual agreement between the mother and her employer, the additional 4 weeks of maternity leave may be taken flexibly over a period of 6 months from the birth of the child. Otherwise, the additional 4 weeks of leave must be taken as a block immediately after the first 8 weeks.
The employer should pay the mother the normal salary for the duration of the maternity leave and then claim reimbursement from the Government.

This means that claims can be made by Spore children only. well... Spore want to increase birth rates, its a good thing to do.

Is the 12 weeks of maternity leave paid leave?
The employer is required to pay the first 8 weeks leave if the female employee satisfies the following conditions:
(a) She has been employed for at least 180 days before the date of the delivery;
(b) She has less than 2 children of her own at the time of delivery. In the case of multiple births (e.e. twins, triplets etc) during the first confinement, the employer is still required to pay the next 8 weeks maternity leave; and
(c) She has given at least one week's notice to her employer before going on maternity leave and has informed her employer as soon as practicable of her delivery. Otherwise she is only entitled to half the payment during the maternity leave, unless it is proven that she was prevented by any sufficient cause from giving such notice to her employer.
Beyond the first 8 weeks, the payment for maternity leave is voluntary and subject to contractual agreement.


Can a female employee, who is single, entitled to maternity leave benefit?
Yes, if she is covered under the Employment Act. She will be entitled to 12 weeks of maternity leave for all confinements. The first 8 weeks of maternity leave for the first 2 confinements will be employer-paid if she has served the employer for at least 180 days. Beyond this, she will not be entitled to any payment during her maternity leave, unless her employer chooses to pay her voluntarily. She will also not qualify for Government-paid maternity leave.

Is a female employee entitled to maternity leave if she has an abortion or a miscarriage?
Maternity benefits do not apply to such cases. However, she will be entitled to paid sick leave if she satisfies the qualifying conditions for paid sick leave.

Can a female employee take a shorter period of pre-confinement leave (ie less than four weeks) so that she can have a longer period of post-confinement leave?
Yes, if there is mutual agreement between the female employee and the employer. The total period of maternity leave is still subject to a maximum of 12 weeks.

If a female employee has a premature delivery before she goes on her maternity leave, would she be allowed to consume her full 12 weeks of maternity leave following her delivery?
Yes. She can take the full 12 weeks of maternity leave if her employer agrees to it. However, if the female worker is unable to take the full 8 weeks of employer-paid maternity leave after her delivery, her employer should pay her wages for the period of her maternity leave which she has worked prior to her confinement.

extract from MOM website