Singapore tuition centre owner warns of possible manpower shortages under new childcare leave rules
A Singapore tuition centre owner has raised concerns that the new childcare leave announcement could create manpower issues for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Tuition centre owner identifies three fundamental problems
In a TikTok video posted on Tuesday (25 Aug), @maythematics, a mother of three and an owner of two math tuition centres, said she was “grateful for the support”.
The Original Poster (OP) also hoped for an “open conversation about how these policies affect employers”.
The OP shared that the new measures include increasing childcare leave for parents with three or more children from six days to 12 days.
@maythematics I’m still incredibly grateful for the support and incentives being introduced, and I truly appreciate Singapore taking meaningful steps forward to support families. ❤️🇸🇬 At the same time, I hope we can also have an open conversation about how these policies affect employers, especially SMEs. My intention isn’t to criticise the support given to parents, but to raise a few practical considerations on how we can make these policies sustainable for both employees and employers. Because ultimately, supporting families shouldn’t come at the expense of businesses — and supporting businesses shouldn’t come at the expense of families. If we can solve both sides of the equation, I believe that’s when these policies can create the greatest impact. ❤️ #childcare #singaporechild #governmen
The Government will also be reimbursing the employee’s salary for the additional leave.
However, she said the policy could lead to staffing difficulties for businesses where employees require specialised skills.
“For a team of like 10 parents who need more childcare leave,” she said.
“10 times six easily translates to 60 days of work that an organisation would need to find cover for”.
Salary reimbursement doesn’t cover full costs
The OP noted that finding temporary replacements may not be straightforward in some industries.
For example, a math teacher cannot be replaced by someone without the necessary subject knowledge.
She also highlighted that salary reimbursement does not cover an employer’s full cost of having an employee away.
Source: @maythematics on TikTok
Besides wages, businesses incur expenses such as rent, marketing, training, software, equipment, management and administrative support.
Finding replacement staff could also mean additional costs, such as last-minute training, which may end up costing more than the employee’s pay.
May affect employability of parents
Most concerning to the OP was the possibility of an unintended impact on parents’ competitiveness in the job market.
She also questioned whether employers, faced with operational challenges, might subconsciously favour candidates without significant caregiving responsibilities when choosing between two similarly qualified applicants.
“This is what worries me the most,” she said, adding that she had personally experienced being pushed out of a job when she was pregnant with her first child.
Source: @maythematics on TikTok
She also suggested that the Government could consider relief manpower support, incentives for cross-training and additional assistance for smaller companies, particularly those with fewer than 15 employees.
“Having children should not disadvantage an employee in their career,” she said. “But equally, hiring someone with children should not disadvantage an employer operationally.”
She also stressed that her intention was not to criticise support for parents, but to encourage solutions that make family-friendly policies sustainable for both employees and businesses.
OP’s first reaction was one of joy
The OP, May, told MS News that she felt joy initially upon hearing the announcement about the childcare leave changes.
“I was genuinely very happy to see Singapore taking further steps to support parents and encourage families to have more children,” she said.
However, after the initial excitement, her “business-owner brain kicked in”.
May began considering the operational complexities that arise when employees need to take more leave.
This is particularly challenging in the tuition industry, where students and parents can be quite resistant to changes in tutors.
“A teacher cannot always be easily replaced because students build trust, familiarity and learning momentum with them,” she explained.
Parents may lose out in job market
Another concern then came to her mind: “What if other employers start thinking about these operational difficulties too, but respond differently?”
This could lead to parents being less attractive to hire and potentially losing their employability in the job market.
As a mother and business owner herself, there’s a certain irony to May’s situation.
She thought: “I am getting more childcare leave as a mother, but will I actually get to enjoy more time with my own children?”
Source: @maythematics on TikTok
“I think my unique position explains why I am able to see this issue from both sides,” she said.
She firmly believes that employees should be able to attend to their children when needed.
At the same time, it made her realise that businesses need to evolve so that supporting one employee’s family responsibilities does not simply shift the burden onto someone else.
OP hopes Government can help SMEs
May suggested that the Government help SMEs access business or manpower consultants to strengthen manpower resilience, improve productivity, and manage employee absences more sustainably.
She suggested exploring whether SMEs or companies with a higher proportion of parent employees could receive additional grants, subsidies or incentives to offset the operational impact of caregiving leave.
This could encourage employers to hire parents and foster more family-friendly workplaces.
Source: Maythematics Tuition on Facebook
She also suggested greater flexibility in childcare leave, including alternative benefits for parents who do not need to use their full entitlement.
When asked how she intends to address the concerns and evolve as a business owner, May said: ” I think the first step is to stop making myself the backup plan for everything.”
“If I can address these concerns, keep the business sustainable and create a workplace where my employees are happy and supported, that would make me really happy too,” she added.
Also read: ‘The work migrates to someone else’s desk’: Netizens question impact of more childcare leave
‘The work migrates to someone else’s desk’: Netizens question impact of more childcare leave
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Featured image adapted from @maythematics on TikTok.
