SINGAPORE - Social networking giant Facebook will be giving its full-time working fathers at its global offices, including those here, up to four months of paid paternity leave from January - a progressive move, said human resource experts.

Previously, the tech giant extended this privilege, which staff can use all at once or throughout the year, to its employees in the United States.

Eligible working fathers here are entitled to one week of paid paternity leave funded by the Government and may get an additional week of paid paternity leave if their employers voluntarily agree to provide it. The extra week was a move implemented in August. For companies that take up the call, the Government will pay for the extra week of leave.

Facebook has 34 international offices with nearly 12,000 full-time staff around the world. The firm did not disclose how many people they hire in Singapore.

In a blog post on Thursday, Facebook's vice-president of people, Ms Lori Goler, wrote: "In reviewing our parental leave policies, we have decided to make this change because it's the right thing to do for our people and their families."

"Studies show that when working parents take time to be with their newborns, outcomes are better for the children and families," she said.

"For too long, paid baby leave has been granted only to a mother who is giving birth."

Their move comes just as its the firm's chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said on Friday (Nov 20) that he would take two months of paternity leave after his daughter's birth, adding that studies showed outcomes are better for the children and families when working parents take time to be with their newborns.