Balancing corporate demands and fatherhood

 
What would be the impact of a second week of paternity leave on employers?

EVEN though the one-week extension of paternity leave will be paid for by the government, the main concerns are that it may ultimately end up raising business costs and result in possible lapses in service delivery.

Covering the cost of the individual’s leave is one thing. For certain roles, the work cannot simply be put on hold or handed to a co-worker to cover for the individual while he is away. The job still has to be done. Take, for example, an operational role where equipment needs to be manned by someone. The employer will thus have to incur the cost of hiring a replacement on a part-time, freelance or contract basis for that period.

While the second week of paternity leave is a pro-family policy that is good for employees’ wellbeing and society as a whole, it would be a strain on SME employers amid a tightened labour market and rising business costs.

Ronald Lee
Managing Director
PrimeStaff Management Services Pte Ltd