Increase in pregnant women losing their job, study suggests
Up to 74,000 women lose their job every year for getting pregnant or taking maternity leave, new research suggests.
The figure has increased from 54,000 a decade ago, according to campaign groups Pregnant Then Screwed and Women In Data.
Their survey of 35,800 parents found that 12% of women are sacked, constructively dismissed or made redundant whilst pregnant, on maternity leave or within a year of returning from maternity leave.
The report estimated that this could mean as many as 74,000 women are forced to leave their job every year.
Half of pregnant women, those on maternity leave, and those returning from maternity leave said they had a negative experience at work, leading one in five to quit their job, according to the research.
A third of women said they were sidelined or demoted whilst pregnant, on maternity leave, or when they return from maternity leave, but only 2% of women who experience discrimination took a claim to a tribunal, said the report.
Joeli Brearley, founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, said: 'We have long suspected things are getting worse, not better. Our free advice line is ringing off the hook, it has reached a point where we simply cannot cope with demand.
'To find that 74,000 mothers a year are being pushed out of their job for daring to procreate is not surprising, but it is devastating.
'In 2016, the coalition government commissioned a report to better understand how widespread pregnancy and maternity discrimination is.
'The report found that things had significantly deteriorated over the previous 10 years. Despite committing to repeat the research every five years, this has not happened.
'What sort of message does this send to women.'
Taisiya Merkulova of Women In Data said: 'Collectively, we need to close the gender gap and remove the challenges women face to achieve equality of opportunities in the workplace and reduce burden of the unspoken 'tax' on mothers from additional unpaid labour as carers and in the home.'
The campaign groups urged companies to increase their paternity leave offer, create family friendly workplaces, including advertising jobs as flexible and collect maternity retention data.
TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: 'This is just plain wrong. No one should be losing their job as a result of getting pregnant.
'This is why the measures in the Employment Rights Bill, such as giving pregnant women and new mothers a period where they are protected from being dismissed, are so important.
'They will give greater protections to pregnant women and new mothers.'
Government spokesman said: 'The law is clear, no-one should face discrimination at work because they are pregnant or are taking maternity leave.
'Despite this, we know that discrimination still occurs far too often.
'This is why our Employment Rights Bill, and subsequent regulations, will make it unlawful to dismiss pregnant women, mothers on maternity leave or in the six months after they return to work – employers who break the law could face a costly discrimination claim.'
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