9 Swedish MNCs such as H&M, AstraZeneca to double paid paternity leave in Singapore

SINGAPORE: Nine Swedish multinational corporations will double paid paternity leave to 4 weeks for workers in Singapore.This will take impact from subsequent 12 months, in accordance to a joint pledge introduced on Thursday (Dec 9) by the Swedish Chamber of Commerce Singapore (SwedCham).The 9 corporations are ABB, AstraZeneca, Atlas Copco, Bolon x The Andrews Group, Electrolux, H&M, Mentor Media, Oriflame and SKF.In Singapore, working moms are eligible for 16 weeks of paid maternity leave whereas fathers are entitled to two weeks of paid paternity leave as mandated by the Ministry of Manpower.Urging more to be a part of their (*9*) pledge, the 9 Swedish corporations known as on different companies “to take paternity leave seriously and encourage men to participate actively in caregiving roles, allowing women a more equal footing in the workplace”.Mr Adam Cich, govt vice-president and head of Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa at dwelling home equipment maker Electrolux, stated the present disparity between paid paternity and maternity leave “indicates an expectation that women should continue to shoulder most of the caregiving duties”.“By increasing paternity leave, our aim is not only to empower fathers to contribute more at home, but also to highlight the important role of the business community to intentionally build corporate cultures that promote gender equality,” he stated in the press launch.Echoing that, AstraZeneca Singapore’s nation president Vinod Narayanan stated gender roles at dwelling have developed amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “And with more people embracing these changes, it is timely for companies to take another step forward by encouraging fathers to take a more active role during the early months of a child’s life,” he added.