A former sales engineer in Singapore, who is about five months pregnant, was retrenched twice in a month, The Straits Times reported.
Shermin Ho said that in May, she was told by her company that she will be retrenched—only a week after she discovered that she was nearly two months pregnant with her first child.
“It was a tough period because the pregnancy was unplanned. So, when the retrenchment notice came around, it felt like a double whammy,” said the 29-year-old professional.
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When she told her firm’s HR department about her pregnancy, her retrenchment was withdrawn.
However, in June, following the company’s second wave of layoffs, she was told once again that she will be retrenched and that she will be provided a package that will include maternity benefits.
The Straits Times also reported that the company has laid off 15 percent of its workforce across 40 office amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. She was among the 15 people in her office who lost their jobs.
“The second time around, I was a lot calmer because it was the same process. And I already knew the company was not doing as well. But, of course, it was still a surprise as I never thought I would be retrenched at my age,” added Ho.
After a month of sending out applications and attending job interviews, she finally secured a job as a business analyst at a pharmaceutical company.
“I knew that as a pregnant woman competing against other candidates, it would be challenging, especially in this climate,” The Straits Times quoted her as saying. “While there was uncertainty and self-doubt in the beginning, I do find support from the other colleagues who were also laid off. We have each other for support.”
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