Pregnancy could cost you your job

A new study is set to report a rise in the number of women suffering discrimination due to being pregnant or taking maternity leave. The £1.2 million  project, entitled Pregnant then Screwed, is likely to expose the true scale of the problem, leading experts to warn that being pregnant could well cost you your job.

Project founder, Joeli Brearley, experienced discrimination herself during pregnancy. Her report is set to give a snapshot of the way things stand for pregnant women, and how they are treated after announcing their pregnancy to their employers.

Legislation is in place to protect women from unfair dismissal and maternity laws have been strengthened since then. Despite this, many women report that they have been treated unfairly in the workplace as a direct result of being pregnant or being on maternity leave.

The charity Maternity Action estimates that around 60,000 pregnant women are losing their jobs every year, and they are blaming the “explosive growth in precarious forms of employment” since the financial crisis.

Pregnant women need to know their rights

Maternity leave of up to a year and pay for 39 weeks

Reasonable paid time off for ante-natal appointments (and the ability for partners to accompany you)

Contractual rights should continue during leave, including accrual of holidays and pension contributions

The right to return to the same job if up to 26 weeks’ leave is taken, and the right to return to a similar position if over 26 weeks

Protection from redundancy, dismissal, and detriment due to pregnancy/maternity leave

Source: Maternity Action

For more information on the Pregnant, then Screwed report see here: http://pregnantthenscrewed.com/