More Relevant & Pertinent: Pregnant Women Losing Jobs

• ShutterBug

  20 Jul 04, 06:47

  SINGAPORE : Pregnant and unemployed - a growing number of women said they were losing their jobs because they were expecting.
  
  The women's action group AWARE said the number of complaints had grown 400 percent in recent times - from one call a month to three a week.
  
  However, the Ministry of Manpower said they had not recorded any increase.
  
  Singapore's baby blues are nothing new.
  
  Low fertility rates have been in the headlines for the past year.
  
  One of the key issues that needs to be overcome is how having a baby impacts on the mother's career.
  
  And that is something that AWARE is concerned about.
  
  Braema Mathi, President of AWARE, said: "If you know that you have to manage a career as well as bring up the children, you are going to make a very considered decision of 'I think I can only manage two'."
  
  AWARE has been analysing reponses from more than 250 people and has now presented its key findings to the government.
  
  Some of the recommendations include implementing policies to cover all who may need support, including mothers who are not working, single parents, parents from low-income families, couples who wish to adopt or even introduce paternity leave of more than the token two to three days to emphasise the importance of fathers in parenting.
  
  AWARE is also suggesting better support services like childcare and infantcare.
  
  In their research, they looked into countries like Denmark and Norway which have positive fertility trends.
  
  The Scandanavian example calls for financial incentives.
  
  Tan Joo Hymn, Chairperson of Beyond Babies Work Group, said: "They would give certain bursaries to every child born regardless of birth order or whatever as one lump sum.
  
  "And they have very, very good state providing support services like childcare, infantcare and they also implemented such that all the employers have to let their employees go off."
  
  AWARE has also set up a POPWatch or Population Watch Committee to continue research in fertility trends. - CNA
• Viper52

  21 Jul 04, 01:51

  I keep saying, we can throw money at this baby shortage issue, but it is NEVER going to work unless employer attitudes towards staff starting to families change. The issues of overwork, underpaying, lack of job security and scrimping on maternity/paternity leave are the real reasons behind the baby shortage.
• creepycrawlie

  21 Jul 04, 03:07

  Originally posted by Viper52:

  I keep saying, we can throw money at this baby shortage issue, but it is NEVER going to work unless employer attitudes towards staff starting to families change. The issues of overwork, underpaying, lack of job security and scrimping on maternity/paternity leave are the real reasons behind the baby shortage.

  it is true. Tthe best part is no matter what recomendation the commitee makes to the government, it is not going to work if it doesn't involve changing of mindset. And chnaging of mindset is not something that occurs overnight, it is a long process.
• apollo861

  21 Jul 04, 21:09

  let me get this straight.
  employers sacking pregnant women?
  maybe suspend her from work.
  don;t pay her for those months she is unable to work.
  that i can understand.
  because for people to work with pregnant lady,
  it is kind of stressful.
  but to sack her is kind of overboard.
  take her back after her pregnancy.
  she will need the money.
  i think.