OUR labour laws do not do enough to protect pregnant women against unfair employment practices.

Many women are pressured to resign prior to them taking their maternity leave, on one ground or other. Worse, some women may even lose their jobs during their extended absence from the workplace.

As a result, many of my female friends prefer to work for foreign companies as they usually treat their workers more fairly.

Women employees in such companies tend to enjoy better benefits, which are documented in their letters of employment. The women also enjoy tip-top working environments.

In contrast, Singapore's small- and medium-sized enterprises continue to lag behind foreign companies in such human-resource practices.

Local businesses that engage in unfair work practices ought to be shamed publicly so as to deter others.

These companies should not only be fined, but also have their licences revoked if they refuse to amend their unfair human-resource practices.

Many women I know are afraid to have children because they fear that doing so would cost them their jobs.

This ought not to be the case for a society that prides itself on promoting high levels of workplace productivity.

The Manpower Ministry can certainly do more to provide pregnant women with more protection against unfair work practices.

Mr Gilbert Goh

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