Woman distraught for being fired from job after returning from maternity leave

A woman who identified herself as Elizabeth wrote to the PMET support group Transitioning that was given marching orders barely 2-weeks after returning from her 16-week maternity leave. The woman said she worked for the company since 2005.

She said that two years prior to her dismissal, she was involved in an accident which required hospitalisation and that she was still being treated for injuries sustained at the accident as an outpatient in a hospital.

She is concerned as she has three children aged, 11, 10 and 4 months old and her husband is working in the shipping line with a take home income of less than $2,000. She expressed that she was confused.

Transitioning replied to her and said that her frequent outpatient treatments could be a trigger for her dismissal. They advised her to seek Ministry of Manpower’s arbitration and also offered her counselling if she needed it.

Workers who feel that their dismissal is unfair, you may submit a written appeal to be reinstated to the Minister for Manpower. The appeal must be received by MOM within one month from the date of dismissal. If the Minister is satisfied that the worker was unfairly dismissed, he may order the reinstatement of the worker to his (her) former job, or  order a sum of money as compensation.