CARNAL NATION

Prompted by tough economic times and more generous maternity benefits, increasing number of firms in Singapore are firing pregnant women or denying them their full entitlement.

Some women claimed they were sacked under the pretence of poor performance or other work-related issues so employers could avoid meeting maternity payment obligations. Others claimed they were underpaid or denied maternity benefits.

The new regulations that have substantially increased maternity benefits came into effect just over a year ago on Oct 31 last year, just as Singapore was entering a recession. Ironically greater awareness of the maternity benefits due to heightened publicity could also have led to the spike.

There were 119 'pregnancy- related' complaints lodged with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in the first nine months of the year - up from 72 for the whole of 2007, and 95 last year. That is the highest since records began in 2004 and represents a doubling of the rate per month compared with 2007.

Most of the cases have been settled, with payments being made to the women, while about two dozen complaints are pending. About 75 per cent of the complaints were from women working in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).