Miscarriage leave in Singapore: what leave and protection you have, by week of pregnancy, and how to ask your employer

Singapore has no separate miscarriage leave. The Ministry of Manpower says that after a miscarriage you can take sick leave to recover, but you are not eligible for maternity leave, and your husband can't take paternity or shared parental leave either. What changes the answer is the week of pregnancy. Under Singapore law, a baby who is born without signs of life after the 24th week of pregnancy is a stillbirth, and MOM says you are then eligible for full maternity leave. Before 24 weeks, you rely on paid sick leave, up to 14 days of outpatient sick leave or 60 days of hospitalisation leave, which includes the 14, if you've worked for your employer for at least 3 months. You need a medical certificate, and you should tell your employer within 48 hours. KKH's medical social workers and mental wellness service, and the Child Bereavement Support group, can help with the grief that follows.

Your leave, by week of pregnancy

The 24-week line comes from the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, which defines a stillborn child as one that "issues from the child's mother after the twenty-fourth week of pregnancy" and shows no sign of life. The Child Development Co-Savings Act counts the delivery of a stillborn child as a confinement for maternity leave. SingHealth says most miscarriages happen in the first 12 weeks, and that early miscarriage happens in up to one in five pregnancies. Our guide to miscarriage risk by week explains how the odds change as a pregnancy goes on.

Sick leave and hospitalisation leave after a miscarriage

If you're covered by the Employment Act, MOM's rules on paid sick leave are:

• You must have worked for your employer for at least 3 months. Between 3 and 6 months, the days are pro-rated; from 6 months, you get the full entitlement.
• Full entitlement is 14 days of paid outpatient sick leave a year, and 60 days of paid hospitalisation leave, which includes the 14.
• You need a medical certificate from a registered doctor.
• You must tell, or try to tell, your employer within 48 hours of your absence.

Hospitalisation leave isn't only for hospital stays. MOM says it covers time when you are warded or have day surgery, and when you're not in hospital but a hospital doctor certifies you need bed rest, "for example pregnancy-related complications", or more rest after discharge. So if you have a procedure as day surgery, or a hospital doctor certifies that you need rest, that time counts as hospitalisation leave.

If you run out of sick leave, MOM says your employer can let you take extended no-pay leave, or agree other arrangements with you. Many employers also give compassionate leave; it isn't set out in MOM's leave rules, so ask HR what your company offers.

After 24 weeks: maternity leave for a stillbirth

MOM says you're eligible for full maternity leave if your baby is stillborn or dies shortly after birth, as long as you meet the usual eligibility criteria. Depending on those criteria, that is 16 weeks of Government-Paid Maternity Leave or 12 weeks under the Employment Act, and both need at least 3 months' service with your employer. Notice rules normally ask for 4 weeks' notice before Government-Paid Maternity Leave, or that you inform your employer as soon as possible of your delivery, so tell HR as soon as you can. Our maternity leave calculator works out your dates.

MOM adds that if you meet the Government-Paid Maternity Leave criteria, the stillbirth counts as a confinement when working out benefits for your next delivery. Your husband is eligible for 2 weeks of Government-Paid Paternity Leave after a stillbirth, MOM says, if he meets the usual employment, marriage and citizenship criteria. Our guide to maternity and paternity leave in Singapore covers the full scheme.

Your job: what protects you

MOM says employers "should not terminate employment just for taking sick leave", and if you believe you've been dismissed unfairly or without just cause for taking sick leave, you can file a wrongful dismissal claim with the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) within one month of your last day.

While you're pregnant, you also have maternity protection once you've worked for your employer for at least 3 months: an employer who dismisses you without sufficient cause or retrenches you during pregnancy must pay the maternity benefits you would have received. MOM says dismissing an employee because of pregnancy is against the law. The Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices ask employers to hire on merit regardless of marital status and family responsibilities and to treat employees fairly, and TAFEP gives advice on 6838 0969. The Workplace Fairness Act, passed in 2025, adds stronger protection against workplace discrimination; MOM aims for it to take effect at the end of 2027.

How to tell your employer

You don't have to explain more than you want to. A medical certificate is what the law requires.

1. Message your manager or HR within 48 hours. "I'm on medical leave after a pregnancy loss" is enough; you can share less.
2. Send the medical certificate, or the hospitalisation leave certificate if a hospital doctor gave you one.
3. If you need more time, ask your doctor whether you need further rest; the certificate is what counts.
4. Ask HR about compassionate leave, a gradual return or working from home for a few weeks.
5. If the loss was after 24 weeks, tell HR it is a stillbirth so they can process your maternity leave.

Where to find support

KKH's medical social workers say that grief after pregnancy loss is a normal reaction, not mental or emotional instability, and that recovery can take one to two years. You don't have to manage it alone.

If the grief turns into low mood that won't lift, our guide to postnatal depression and where to get help lists more services. SingHealth says you can try for another baby as soon as you and your partner feel physically and emotionally ready, and our guides to trying again after a miscarriage and pregnancy after stillbirth cover what comes next, and trying to conceive in Singapore covers the basics.

Frequently asked questions

Is there miscarriage leave in Singapore?

Not as a separate type of leave. MOM says you can take sick leave to recover from a miscarriage, but you aren't eligible for maternity leave, and your partner isn't eligible for paternity or shared parental leave.

How many days of sick leave can I take after a miscarriage?

Under the Employment Act, up to 14 days of paid outpatient sick leave and 60 days of hospitalisation leave a year, which includes the 14, once you've worked 6 months; it's pro-rated between 3 and 6 months. You need a medical certificate.

Do I get maternity leave if my baby is stillborn?

Yes. MOM says you're eligible for full maternity leave if your baby is stillborn or dies shortly after birth. In law, a stillbirth is a baby born without signs of life after the 24th week of pregnancy.

Can my husband take leave after our miscarriage?

Not paternity or shared parental leave, MOM says. He can ask his employer for annual leave or compassionate leave, which some companies offer.

Can I be dismissed for taking sick leave after a miscarriage?

MOM says employers should not terminate employment just for taking sick leave. If you believe you were dismissed unfairly for it, you can file a wrongful dismissal claim with TADM within one month of your last day of work.