TO SHARE, OR NOT TO SHARE?

Going for job interviews can be stressful, especially when you’re not aware of what your potential employer is legally allowed to ask you.

For women, some of these questions may concern childbearing plans. The Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) lists the guidelines for what is considered a “fair job interview”. Set up in 2006 by the Ministry of Manpower, National Trades Union Congress, and the Singapore National Employers Federation, TAFEP promotes the adoption of fair, responsible and progressive employment practices.

One of the questions employers should not ask is, “Are you planning to have children soon?” But this doesn’t mean that they won’t broach the topic . In What Women Want Survey in 2020, 25 per cent of them were asked about their childbearing plans by a recruiter or potential employer. Of these women, 72 per cent mentioned their plans, while the other 28 per cent chose not to reveal them. And, among those who had childbearing plans, about one-third chose not to tell the recruiter or potential employer about it.