NINE out of 10 of my girlfriends concur that attending job interviews is like attending Chinese New Year family gatherings, as many employers ask irrelevant and discriminating questions such as intention to marry and have children. The Government should put rules in place to prohibit interviewers from asking such questions.

Details such as age and family members' details should also be omitted from job application forms as these may lead interviewers to discriminate as many employers prefer not to hire mature workers or women with young children. In the event that it is necessary for these details to be made known to employers, the company should be entitled to them only after the interviewee has worked there for a certain time, say after the probation period.

Despite Singapore's First-World status, our employment laws still lag behind those of other countries. The Government can run campaign after campaign to encourage employers to adopt fair employment practices voluntarily, but in reality employers will probably be slow without rewards or regulations. Instead of token efforts, it is high time the Government took radical action if it wants to boost the birth rate.

Karen Lee (Ms)