Many women are treated unfairly — or even fired — after revealing the news of their pregnancy. As long as a pregnant woman is able to perform the major functions of her job, either not hiring her or firing her because she is pregnant is against the law. It’s against the law to dock her pay or demote her to a lesser position because of pregnancy. It’s also against the law to hold back benefits for pregnancy because a woman is not married. All are forms of pregnancy discrimination, and all are illegal.

Pregnancy is a protected characteristic under the law, and employers must treat women who are pregnant in the same manner as other job applicants or employees with similar abilities or limitations.

A working mother is entitled to either 16 weeks of Government-Paid Maternity Leave or 12 weeks of maternity leave, depending on whether the child is a Singapore citizen and other criteria. Here is a comprehensive explanation of a woman’s eligibility and entitlement for maternity leave and other related considerations from the Ministry of Manpower.