Her performance review said 'excellent.' Her director had other plans
A worker on maternity leave was told she "did not fit" her new director's vision for the team - then forced out of her job.
Singapore's Employment Claims Tribunal found the worker had been constructively dismissed - pushed to resign by the employer's conduct rather than choosing to leave - on account of her pregnancy and maternity leave. The tribunal awarded her the maximum payout available: $19,800 in compensation.
The decision, published on September 22, 2026, turned on a phone call, a WhatsApp message, and a performance record that contradicted every reason the employer offered for wanting her gone.
The worker joined the company as an executive in April 2021, earning a gross monthly salary of $3,300. In March 2023, a new director took over her business unit. The following month, over a get-to-know-you lunch, she told him she was pregnant with her baby due in October and that she was considering taking sabbatical leave to care for her newborn.
Her annual performance appraisal in July 2023 was strong. Her immediate supervisor described her work ethic as "excellent" and praised her ability to take on projects outside her core role. The new director concurred, noting she had "shown a strong work ethic in the past review period."
Two months later, the tone shifted.
On September 12, 2023, the worker submitted her maternity leave form with the date fields blank - her baby had not yet arrived. She also told...
Millions of Aussies will be cheering Ben Roberts-Smith after seeing his publicity campaign. But we must leave all these matters to a criminal court to decide – this time beyond reasonable doubt.