Pregnant employees protected against unfair treatment

• Lianhe Zaobao (31 May 2017): Pregnant employees protected against unfair treatment
• Lianhe Zaobao (19 May 2017): Does the law adequately protect the rights of working women?

Pregnant employees protected against unfair treatment

– Lianhe Zaobao (31 May 2017)

1. We refer to the letter “Does the law adequately protect the rights of working women?” (19 May). 
2. The Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) contacted the writer to look into the case mentioned in her letter. Unfortunately, she declined to provide further details.
3. Nonetheless, the case cited by the writer resembles one of the cases which the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) recently handled. The pregnant employee had lodged a complaint against her employer for terminating her service prematurely and denying her of her maternity benefit. TADM successfully resolved the matter, and the employee will receive her full maternity benefit as part of the settlement. Notwithstanding the settlement, TAFEP is also looking into the employee’s complaint of discriminatory practices by the employer. If the employer is found to have engaged in discriminatory practices, its work pass privileges will be curtailed.
4. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) takes a serious view of workplace discrimination, especially against pregnant employees. Employers found to have unfairly dismissed pregnant employees or attempted to deny pregnant employees of their maternity benefits will be taken to task. All employers are also expected to adopt fair employment practices, in line with the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices. 
5. Remedies are already available for employees who were unfairly dismissed while pregnant or discriminated at the workplace. We encourage employees who feel that they have been directly or indirectly denied maternity protection or benefits to approach MOM at 6438 5122 or TAFEP at 6838 0969.

Does the law adequately protect the rights of working women?

– Lianhe Zaobao (19 May 2017)

1. 初涉职场的小菜鸟，难免还带着象牙塔里黑白分明的世界观来看待所谓的真实世界。象牙塔里没有过多的人情世故，亦没有所谓的男女设限。象牙塔营造了人人平等的假象，常常让人误以为职场上的男女平权是上个世纪的话题，而非时下热点。
2. 小菜鸟经历不足，只能以自己这几个月的所见所闻，来聊聊所谓的职场男女平权。相较于部分国家，新加坡立法给予女性员工的福利算是相当完善的，但职业女性真的受到法律保护吗？
3. 初入公司时，难免有一些小惊讶——清一色的女性员工，男性显得异常珍稀。这个现象貌似在很多办公室都是极为常见现象。问及原因，老鸟给出一个极为刻板、但看似异常有说服力的说法：男性并不太适合办公室这种较为静态的重复性工作。
4. 这倒引出一些极为有趣的问题，面试官是否会在面试时，更倾向聘用女性而非男性呢？在两个条件相当的男女竞争同一职位时，性别是否成了关键的决定因素？当今职场上男女平权的天秤，是否已渐渐倾向女性呢？这一点倒是不得而知了。
5. 女性员工多的公司，反倒令职场上女性权益的问题愈加明显。公司领导人在聘请员工时，是否考虑过女性在这个看似西化但依旧东方的社会里，扮演着怎样的角色？
6. 在聘用新婚女员工时，是否考虑过她怀孕生育的可能性比单身员工来得高？要求未过试用期但工作即将满三个月、且刚怀孕的员工，转换成以四个月为期限的劳动合同，如此一来，公司不需要给予该名员工为期四个月的产假福利。看似合理的要求，却令人隐约嗅出准妈妈在职场上是遭雇主嫌弃的。因刚换工作又碰巧怀孕，让准妈妈错过了转正的机会，更失去了她应有的产假福利。
7. 或许有人会说，按照新加坡法律，该员工可以向雇主据理力争，但这过程耗费大量时间和精力，最终也极有可能不欢而散。秉持着以和为贵的心态，该名员工选择潇洒离职。
8. 这个故事唯一令我庆幸的是，该名员工的家庭经济状况足以负担她怀孕期间无法工作的代价。若换作是经济较为拮据的女性，是否只能选择接受那看似很合理的“期限合同”呢？即便选择接受“期限合同”，她依旧无法享有产假福利，产后的生活依旧没有任何保障。
9. 在职母亲即便拥有有薪育儿假，仍须在工作和孩子之间不断取舍。深怕育儿假申请多了，会遭雇主嫌弃。在职业女性与日俱增的情况下，即便政府立法保护女性，雇主总会有层出不穷的办法，来降低成本和规避法律责任，以最低的成本来换取最大的劳动力。
10. 在政府与雇主斗智斗勇的情况下，职场女性是否得到预期的法律保护呢？这值得我们深思。