SINGAPORE – Jeremy Tan runs an events management and production company where 30 per cent of its 30 staff are parents.The group managing director of Adrenalin Group, who has two children, welcomed the government’s expanded childcare leave. But with his lean team working on mostly time-sensitive projects, having employees away more frequently can create a “capacity gap”.The answer, he said, is to build a more resilient approach that includes a buddy system, cross training, portfolio rotation and smarter use of technology, so that more employees are able to cover for each other.“One person cannot be the sole knowledge keeper of things. If an employee is repeatedly tasked to cover work for a particular person, it is a work design matter already,” he said.“The last thing we want is a parent versus non-parent scenario.”Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced the expanded childcare leave entitlements for parents in his National Day Rally speech on Aug 23. Under the new scheme, the Government will also reimburse employers for the whole duration across all child-related leave schemes, including maternity, paternity, shared parental and childcare leave, although payouts remain subject to existing caps.Employers and business groups broadly welcomed the move, particularly the Government’s decision to absorb the salary cost.Hao Shuo, the chief executive of Singapore National Employers Federation, said the impact of higher childcare leave provisions should be manageable for most employers.But those with a higher proportion of employees who are likely to use the additional leave should invest in productivity improvements and redesign work processes to ensure their business operations are not disrupted.Ang Yuit, president of the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, shared similar views. “If a certain percentage of your workforce has children, it becomes obvious and clear that you have to make provisions, and you have to prepare for it,” he said.At this stage, there is no “real model” for reference, but companies can learn from each other on how best to plan ahead.Chairman of Singapore Business Federation Mark Lee said while employers are expected to support their staff, employees also need to step up. “Making this work takes everyone doing their part.”Kelvin Lee, who founded The Pinnacle Creative, said his small marketing and advertising agency has built a culture where people “don’t keep score”.In a company with fewer than 15 staff, “every absence is felt”.“The key is making sure no one feels like they’re being taken advantage of, whether they are the ones taking leave or the one covering.”Group managing director of Adrenalin Group Jeremy Tan (in suit and tie) runs an events management and production company where 30 per cent of its 30 staff are parents. PHOTO: ADRENALIN GROUPSome manpower-intensive businesses, such as those in the food and beverage sector, are likely to face more challenges if staff take childcare leave more frequently on short notice.Ali Abbas, group chief executive of halal buffet restaurant The Landmark, which has close to 180 employees, said it is important to ensure sufficient backup manpower.There is also a need to optimise rostering and cross-train staff to maintain seamless operation.“At the same time, we should ensure employees without children do not feel that they are carrying the additional workload when colleagues take childcare leave,” he said.Abbas added that childcare leave is not restricted to medical emergencies, as parents may also need time off for school events or other genuine child-related needs. Hence, he does not require staff to submit medical certificates for their children when requesting childcare leave.For H, the owner of a 40-strong food manufacturing business who declined to be named, childcare leave has so far been relatively easy to manage.About half his workforce are foreigners, who rarely take childcare leave anyway as home is too far away. Parents of non-citizens are entitled to two days of childcare leave a year under the Employment Act.With the expanded childcare leave for local hires, H said he will have to rely more on his staff stepping up to cover for one another.But he has no complaint about the scheme, especially since the Government is footing the bill.And as a father of three, he understands the need for parents to be there when their children need them.“When the child is sick, the parent also cannot focus on work, so just take the childcare leave,” he said.Chief executive and founder of logistics technology company iHub Solutions Koh San Joo said his firm will focus on cross-training employees and investing in digitalisation to reduce the operational burden on teams.“We see childcare leave as part of the natural life journey, just as National Service reservist duties are for male employees.“At different stages of life, people require different forms of support, and these arrangements should not be viewed as special treatments, but as recognising those realities and standing alongside parents through them,” he said.