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E-news Issue 193

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EOC gives legal assistance to foreign domestic worker in pregnancy discrimination case

On 31 August 2018, the EOC issued legal proceedings under the Sex Discrimination Ordinance (SDO) on behalf of a foreign domestic helper who alleged that her former employer had discriminated against her on the ground of her pregnancy by forcing her to resign.

The SDO protects women, including foreign domestic workers, from pregnancy discrimination and covers areas of activity such as employment and the provision of goods, facilities or services. Under the SDO, it is unlawful for an employer to subject a woman to a disadvantage or dismiss her on the ground of her pregnancy.

Employment-related pregnancy discrimination remains one of the major sources of complaints received by the EOC. From 2015 until 2017, the EOC received a total of 200 complaints related to pregnancy discrimination, which accounted for 38% of all the complaints lodged under the SDO. As an enforcer of the anti-discrimination ordinances, the EOC hopes to remind the public of the rights of pregnant workers, foreign domestic workers included, under the SDO, and alert employers to the legal consequences of pregnancy discrimination.

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