According to a new study, a large proportion of pregnant women face prejudice at work. The research also found that mothers were being overlooked for promotion and, in some cases, even threatened with dismissal.
The report, commissioned by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission and the government, revealed that three-quarters of working mothers have been affected by pregnancy and maternity discrimination and one in nine have lost their jobs as a result.
What’s more, only one in four women affected by discrimination raised it with their employer, mainly because of the high cost of taking a case to a tribunal.
Have you faced maternity discrimination? How did your employer respond when you told them you were pregnant? Did you fear for your job when you went on maternity leave? And how did your career progress when you returned to work – did you find that it continued as before, or that expected promotions dried up? Let us know, too, if your employer was supportive. Please share your stories with us via the form below.
