When I was pregnant both times I was self-employed as a freelance journalist and was therefor lucky enough to never really have to worry about informing a boss or dealing with any sort of work-related pressure.
I pretty much just kept doing what I has been doing up until then, churning out articles, sometimes from the local Starbucks, other times from my most favourite armchair at home, and had the freedom to pop out for antenatal appointments (or lie down for a nap) at my own leisure. It was all sorts of great.
However, according to a new study from
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (ECHR) in the UK, things are less blissful for a whopping one in five pregnant women and new mothers in employment there, with three-quarters admitting the have experienced discrimination at work or even lost their job as a result of pregnancy or motherhood.
In fact, the report, published only yesterday, suggests that pregnancy discrimination, which is highly illegal, has risen significantly since 2005, when 45% of women said they had experienced such discrimination. Now, the study found, one in five mothers said they experienced harassment or negative comments in the workplace related to pregnancy or flexible working and one in 10 said they were discouraged from attending antenatal appointments.
These results, which basically translates into a whopping 390,000 women experiencing discrimination across Britain, were described as shocking by Maternity Action, and the ECHR has now urged the British government to take urgent action to address the problem.
“We simply cannot ignore the true scale of the hidden discrimination that working mothers face," explains Caroline Waters, deputy chair of ECHR, to the
Guardian. "This is unacceptable in modern Britain, and urgent action is needed to ensure women are able to challenge discrimination and unfairness. This is why we are calling on the government to look at the barriers working pregnant women and mothers face in accessing justice."
Waters thinks the report highlights the dire need to make workplaces fairer for women, and wants to see outdated practices, like asking women during job interviews whether they intend to have children, gone. "For businesses to thrive, they need to harness the talents, skills and experience of all employees," she states.
Jo Swinson of Maternity Action agrees, and said the findings should be a wake-up call for the government and employers. “Now that we know the shocking scale of the problem, the government needs to take swift action to better protect women in the workplace,” she explains. "Part of the gender pay gap is driven by how women are supported in the workplace around before and after pregnancy so the government should consider extending pay gap reporting to include return rates after maternity leave."
More that 3,000 mothers and 3,000 employers were interviewed as part of the study, and a number of reasons for the escalating problem were suggested, including employment tribunal fees, ear of negative repercussions at work, lack of information about rights and the stress of making a claim.
Do these numbers shock YOU? Did you ever experience discrimination in the workplace during of after pregnancy? How did you deal with it? Let us know in the comments or tweet us at @Herfamilydotie
