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Article

2 Sep 2008

Author:
Clarissa Oon, Straits Times [Singapore]

'Hire on merit' [Singapore]

When Swiss bank UBS wanted to hire a communications director last year, they chose someone who was eight months pregnant...UBS and another family-friendly firm...received the thumbs-up yesterday from NTUC [National Trades Unions Congress] deputy secretary-general Halimah Yacob, amid growing concern from unionists that mothers will face increased discrimination at work with the bumping-up of leave benefits. The Singapore firm in question, The Event Company, has twice hired pregnant employees whom they felt were capable and experienced. Madam Halimah singled it out ahead of a...dialogue with some 400 unionists and employers on the Government's new pro-baby incentives... UBS has gone one step further than the national policy. All its employees...are entitled to claim up to $3,000 for maternity-related expenses.