What rights do you benefit during your pregnancy? When do you have to declare your pregnancy to your employer? Can you be laid off because you are pregnant? To what maternity leaves can you aspire? Mamahood answers your questions on the labor law during the pregnancy.
Pregnancy dismissal:
Statistics from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) showed that the number of pregnant women unfairly dismissed has seen a significant drop in recent years: from 90 dismissal appeals in 2012 to 57 in 2016.
First, dismissing an employee because of pregnancy is against the law.
The employer can dismiss a pregnant woman in two cases(after a thorough inquiry):
- For serious misconduct of the woman not related to the pregnancy,
- If it is impossible to maintain the employment contract for reasons unrelated to pregnancy or childbirth, and especially in the event of economic reasons (reorganization of the company, closure of the establishment, etc.).
If the employer dismisses a pregnant employee within six months from the date of estimated delivery or the date of her confinement without sufficient cause, the employer has to pay the maternity benefits she would otherwise have been eligible for.
Paid Maternity Leave:
Singaporeans married employees are entitled to maternity leave of 16 weeks. (4weeks before delivery, as well as 12 weeks subsequent to delivery). This is only if she has served her employer for more than 90 days before the child’s birth, and that she has fewer than two living children (excluding the newborn). The employee can arrange for these 16 weeks of leave to start later.
You can check your maternity leave eligibility and entitlement in the MoM website.
Doctors advise informing your employer about your pregnancy from the third or fourth months. Once the risks of miscarriage are low, the company can help you balance your work life.
Paternity leaves:
Your husband is also entitled to parental leave because raising a child is teamwork. Besides, your husband, as a working father, can currently apply to share up to 4 weeks of your 16 weeks of Government-Paid Maternity Leave, subject to your agreement.
Childcare leave for both fathers and mothers
You should also know that any employee, either a mother or a father, who has served the employer for more than 3 months and has a child below the age of 7, is entitled to take childcare leave for 2 days per year.
How did you manage your pregnancy at work? Any tips?
Mamahood does not constitute legal advice. For the most accurate information, you should check out the Employment Act itself, or the website of the Ministry of Manpower.
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