CNA speaks to lawyers about how pregnant employees can protect themselves from wrongful dismissal and when an expectant staff member can be legitimately fired.
SINGAPORE: Can a company sack an employee simply because she is expecting a baby or due to go on maternity leave? Under Singapore law, the short answer is no – yet dozens of women in past years have lodged claims alleging that is exactly what happened.
Last month, an Employment Claims Tribunal (ECT) issued a judgment awarding S$19,800 (US$15,520) to a woman who was wrongfully dismissed because of her pregnancy and maternity leave.
The Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) received 49 pregnancy-related discrimination complaints between 2019 and 2025, according to a written parliamentary response by Acting Minister for Manpower Jasmin Lau on Oct 7.
A total of 387 pregnancy-related wrongful dismissal claims were filed at the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) between April 2019 and 2025, she added.
Of these, 301 were resolved through mediation by TADM, while the remainder were allowed to file claims with the ECT.
Of the 72 who proceeded to file claims at the tribunals, 27 were awarded compensation.
But what counts as wrongful dismissal for a pregnant employee, and is there any way that a pregnant employee can be lawfully dismissed?
CNA spoke to lawyers to find out more.
Referring to the ECT case last month that resulted in a...
[OSEN=Choi Lee-jung Reporter] As past remarks by singer Yang Hong-won expressing his dislike of infidelity resurface, reactions continue to grow that the recent 'motel infidelity allegations' agai...