Are you worried about a stall in your career progression while on maternity leave? Do you want to stay mentally active and find more ways to earn extra income in your spare time? Have you considered freelancing? There’s plenty you can do as a freelancing mother in Singapore to boost your maternity allowance and stay sharp in your career, but before embarking on any projects, you must understand what the statutory maternity law entails when it comes to your contractual obligations.
Can you freelance during your maternity leave in Singapore?
When you are on maternity leave in Singapore, you are still an employer of the organisation. That said, you are not allowed to work for another employer, whether you receive a full-time income or just extra cash. Otherwise, your maternity leave benefits with your current employer will be forfeited and you could be dismissed. That does not mean you cannot explore some stints through self-employed work on a freelance basis while you take care of your little one. There are other ways to upskill or hone your craft to improve your career trajectory and income potential that will not put you in breach of your contract.
Freelance jobs to explore while on maternity leave
Remote work
One of the best freelancing jobs you can explore while on maternity leave in Singapore is talent-based work which you can perform remotely. From crafting advertising copy and designing PowerPoint decks to analysing data, there’s plenty of demand for skilled talent on a self-employed basis in these areas. While you may think you might not fit the bill, chances are you have transferable skills that are sought after by many.
For instance, a human resource manager may take up a gig to work on a PowerPoint deck, while a secondary school teacher may choose to assist in fact-checking content. These jobs offer flexible work hours and the opportunity to make money on maternity leave without going against any laws.
One of the best ways to land yourself these projects is to explore online portals for freelancers. The popular ones include:
- Upwork
- Freelancer
- sg
- Gigworks
- Design Pickle — For graphic designers
- Fiverr — For graphic designers
- iWriter — For writers
- BloggingPro — For writers
Why consider: One of the best ways to stay engaged with the world of work is to get busy with projects that mentally stimulate you. This could mean a freelance role in anything from writing blog posts to customer service or affiliate marketing. Even if you’re receiving maternity benefits, you exercise your mind regularly at a pace you are comfortable with while earning extra money with flexible hours. In doing so, you can even diversify your skillsets. These will not only be worth mentioning on your resume but are also useful when you return to work following your leave.
What to be mindful of: Ensure that the work you have taken on does not cause any conflict of interest with the company you are currently hired by. This may cause repercussions which can amount to a possible breach of contract. When in doubt, always check your employment contract for the finer terms and conditions.
Tuition
If you have a knack for mentoring, taking up some tuition gigs during the maternity leave period may be helpful. You could get in touch with parents whose kids need extra help in subjects you can guide them on. While this may be a little challenging, especially if your little one wakes up frequently, tutoring can still be possible once you have set a schedule of a certain hours per week.
For instance, if your baby sleeps the whole afternoon, you can call your student over for an hour’s lesson during that period.
Why consider: Teaching or mentoring is an excellent way to revisit some basic concepts if they apply directly to your current job. In other instances, you can keep yourself engaged while building up your communications skills and information delivery.
What to be mindful of: As the ministry advises teachers to stay focused on their core responsibilities as a teacher in the school, it also closely monitors the number of teachers giving paid private tuition outside of school hours.
Other opportunities
Aside from remote work or tuition, there are plenty of niche freelancing options you can consider for extra income or increased activity. For instance, if you are an avid baker, you could take the time to bake a few of your favourites and sell them to your close circle of family and friends.
Perhaps you love all things crafts? You can set up your own online store on platforms like Etsy or Carousell and attract customers to order some customised crafts from you. The options are there for you to choose from during your maternity leave — make them work for you!
