Pregnant women in the workplace deserve better
There are hundreds of women who sought help from Aware for discrimination and harassment as a result of pregnancy, says the writer. PHOTO: ST FILE
Jenny (not her real name) was undergoing a probationary period at work when she found out she was pregnant. She did not want to disclose this to her employer, but had no choice when she experienced complications requiring time off.
After she returned to work, her employer fired her a day before her three-month probation was to end. She was not given any reason, and her employer docked her pay for the medical leave she took.
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Forum: Don't let smaller clinics get priced out of high-traffic areas
Forum: Don't let smaller clinics get priced out of high-traffic areas The recent record-setting rental bid of $52,000 per month for a Tampines HDB clinic highlights an unsettling reality: Healthcare access in Singapore is being shaped by property market forces (Co-owner of firm behind record $52k bid to rent Tampines HDB clinic says location justifies cost, June 4). As a public health physician, I worry that a silent shift is under way. Neighbourhood clinics that serve vulnerable populations could become increasingly priced out of high-traffic areas. A two-tiered system is emerging, where only large, financially backed providers can maintain presence in strategic locations. But a small, independent practice that has served its community for decades may be more valuable in public health terms than a high-turnover, profit-focused chain. We must rethink how we support such clinics. Differentiated rental schemes, especially for clinics participating in national programmes like Healthier SG, are urgently needed. So too are payment models that reward continuity and long-term outcomes, not just volume. Healthcare infrastructure is more than hospitals and polyclinics. It includes community clinics that know their patients, offer early intervention, and prevent system overload. If we let these clinics disappear, the cost is not just economic. It is social, and it is systemic. Dr Ang Yee Gary More on this Topic Forum: What readers are saying Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
‘Cracking the wall' between AI and medicine
Professor Wong Tien Yin is embarking on a project to build an AI hospital for China's top-rated Tsinghua University. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN Nowhere has the excitement over how artificial intelligence (AI) will transform our lives been more potent than in the area of medicine, where it's been held to such lofty standards that people expect it will some day – hopefully soon – wipe out epidemics, extend human lifespan and maybe even cure cancer. The idea that AI will improve healthcare is not up for dispute. Real-life applications have already yielded positive results in more accurate and faster diagnostics, and streamlined operations in medical settings. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Forum: Investor interests should not distort healthcare landscape
I was dismayed – like Health Minister Ong Ye Kung – to read about the $52,000 monthly bid for a clinic space. (Ong Ye Kung 'dismayed' at $52k bid to rent Tampines HDB clinic, June 4) The question on everyone's mind: How can such a clinic ever break even, let alone turn a profit? A widespread concern is that the exorbitant rent will inevitably be passed on to patients in the form of higher consultation and treatment fees, undermining affordability and trust. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.