A pregnant woman in Singapore has been awarded 19,800 Singapore dollars in compensation after a court ruled her employer forced her to resign when she announced her maternity leave.
The employee, whose identity was not disclosed, had worked for the company since 2021 and earned 3,300 Singapore dollars a month prior to her resignation in December 2023.
According to a report by news outlet Mothership, the woman had previously received high praise from her management and was formally recognized for excellent performance during a company staff meeting.
However, workplace relations deteriorated rapidly after she informed her superiors that she planned to take maternity leave starting in October 2023.
In mid-September 2023, late-stage pregnancy complications required the employee to be admitted to hospital. While she was receiving medical treatment, her manager repeatedly messaged her requesting an urgent telephone conversation.
When she agreed to speak, her manager informed her that she no longer fit into the management's new vision for the team. The boss stated she would be formally dismissed as soon as her maternity leave concluded, adding that she would need to re-apply and undergo fresh job interviews if she wanted to return to the firm.
Court findings and forced resignation
Following the conversation, the worker submitted her formal resignation of her own accord in December 2023 before filing a legal claim against her employers.
The presiding judge subsequently determined that the company's actions amounted to forced resignation and ordered the management to pay her 19,800 Singapore dollars in financial compensation.
Singapore is an island city-state in Southeast Asia with a statutory labor framework designed to govern employee rights. In employment law disputes, forcing a worker to submit a resignation under threat of termination is recognized as constructive dismissal, preventing employers from evading statutory obligations toward pregnant staff.
Under Singapore labor guidelines, statutory protections aim to safeguard female employees against dismissal during pregnancy or maternity leave. Regulatory frameworks overseen by labor authorities and employment tribunals evaluate whether management pressure constitutes unlawful discharge.
Previous employment dispute rulings
The judgment follows another recent employment tribunal case in Singapore where an employer was ordered to pay compensation after attempting to force a worker out.
In that case, a male employee won approximately 26,000 Singapore dollars after his firm tried to send him into retirement without prior notification or severance payments.
Mothership, a Singapore-based digital news publisher, frequently reports on local court decisions, labor disputes, and workplace rights across the country.
