The government and the Equality and Human Rights Commission last week published a report showing that one in nine new mothers lose their job every year as a result of their pregnancy.

This is despite the fact that most employers said that it was in their interests to support pregnant women and those on maternity leave. They also agreed that statutory rights relating to pregnancy and maternity are reasonable and easy to implement.

However, the reality for women at work is that:

  • Around one in nine mothers (11 per cent) reported that they were dismissed, made compulsorily redundant when others in their workplace were not, or treated so poorly they felt they had to leave their job. If scaled up to the general population this could affect as many as 54,000 mothers a year.
  • One in five mothers said they had experienced harassment or negative comments related to pregnancy or flexible working from their employer and/or colleagues. If scaled up to the general population this could mean as many as 100,000 mothers a year.
  • 10 per cent of mothers said their employer discouraged them from attending antenatal appointments. If scaled up to the general population this could mean as many as 53,000 mothers a year.

The TUC has published guidance on how employers can improve the experiences of pregnant women and new mothers. “The Pregnancy Test: Ending Discrimination at Work for New Mothers” makes the five following recommendations:

  • Employment tribunal fees should be abolished so women can afford to take their employers to court if they feel they’ve been treated unfairly.
  • Employers should publish return-to-work rates to see how many new mums go back to their jobs and how many are still in post a year on. They should also carry out exit interviews with any women who feel unable to go back to work, and act on the findings.
  • The government should introduce better paid leave to allow dads to play a greater role in the care of their children and mothers a greater chance to progress at work.
  • Flexible working must become more widespread, and men should have as much chance to work in this way as women.
  • Employers who are taken to a tribunal over a pregnancy or maternity-related complaint should be forced to act to improve their employment practices when they are found to have discriminated against a female employee.

Iain Birrell of Thompsons Solicitors commented “The BIS research shows that most employers are behaving in a supportive and law-abiding way when it comes to pregnant staff. This is very much to be welcomed. However, this should not lead us into complacency as there remain fundamental issues for a large number of women and their families, as well as thorny socio-economic issues for the UK as a whole.”

To read the government report, go to: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pregnancy-and-maternity-discrimination-and-disadvantage-in-the-workplace

To read the TUC report, go to: https://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/pregnancytestreport.pdf