Commentary: NDR 2026 - non-parents shouldn’t be default substitutes for parents on childcare leave

In this commentary, Chua Yeow Hwee, Assistant Professor in Economics and Deputy Director of the Economic Growth Centre at NTU, said the new childcare leave scheme can push firms to design work better and accommodate other caregiving needs. If firms build greater substitutability into teams and managers distribute coverage fairly, parents can use childcare leave with less concern about burdening colleagues or hurting their careers. This also sends a signal to other employees that taking time off for caregiving responsibilities need not impose an unfair burden on any one colleague.

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