15 September, 2016
According to the survey released by the Equal Opportunities Commission in 2016, one in five pregnant women working for small businesses (with staff members less than 50) encounters pregnancy discrimination. 22 percent of the pregnant employees interviewed by the EOC said they were treated unfavorably most notably not being granted sick leave for prenatal check-ups, and impolite treatment by the employer or colleagues due to their pregnancy. The situation is worse for service workers, skilled and manual workers, and those in the restaurant and hotel industry. About 80 percent of respondents returned to their original positions as working mothers, while 16 percent said they did not due to reasons related to their employers. According to the EOC, there were 1,435 complaints regarding sex discrimination received from 2010 to 2015, with 42 percent (600) being employment-related regarding pregnancy discrimination. In order to avoid any claims from the employees for pregnancy discrimination, employers should ensure that they have a policy in place disallowing discrimination on all unlawful grounds, and to ensure that the employees are fully aware of such policy and receiving training in this regard.
For further information, please contact:
Elsie Chan, Deacons
elsie.chan@deacons.com.hk