PREGNANT employees have been sacked because of misunderstandings and loopholes in labour legislation, a women's rights group said yesterday. Four representatives from the Hongkong Association of Women Workers urged Labour Department officials to improve laws to better protect pregnant employees. The association has received about 10 complaints concerning dismissal of pregnant workers over the past two months. They said a major dismissal reason was a failure to produce a medical certificate to specify the date of confinement and the start of maternity leave. They said this stemmed from misunderstandings about the legislation. But Chief Labour Officer Mr James Yeung Chi-kin said a medical certificate was needed only if the employer requested one and there was no time limit on when it should be produced. He said the department would start distributing a notice at its Labour Relations Services offices to help pregnant working women avoid unnecessary misunderstandings and disputes.
