Today (26 September) is statistically the most popular day of the year to give birth…but Young Women’s Trust, a charity supporting young women on low pay, has found getting pregnant still holds women back with one in five employers.
The charity commissioned YouGov to survey UK employers:
- 20% admit that if a woman is pregnant or has children it has an impact on decisions about whether to promote them.
- 20% say that pregnancy is frowned upon in their organisation within the first year of employment.
- Some admitted that women were taken less seriously in their workplace when they returned from maternity leave.
This comes as a second major survey by the charity, shows that 43 per cent of young women with children reported facing maternity discrimination at work.
Young Women’s Trust chief executive Dr Carole Easton OBE said:
“The level of discrimination that Young Women’s Trust has uncovered against young mothers who are in work or looking for jobs is shocking.
It is in everyone’s interest to help young mothers who want to work. They have a huge amount to contribute to their workplaces and many want to be financially independent and support their families. Tackling discrimination would benefit young mums, businesses and the economy as a whole.
Employers should value young mums’ contributions to their workplaces and do more to accommodate them, including by offering more flexible and part-time working opportunities.”
Young Women’s Trust chief executive Dr Carole Easton OBE
What do I do now?
This is where we come in. Employment law is all we do.
It can often feel like your employer holds all the power. They will likely have experienced HR professionals or a solicitor working in the background. That’s why you need the best support and advice available. You need a specialist employment lawyer – one who will push for the best outcome for you.
We understand how it feels. We have helped hundreds of employees and because we act for businesses too, we know the tactics you’re likely to face from your employer. We know every trick in the book.
You can read more about pregnancy discrimination here.
You only have a limited amount of time to take action to preserve your employment rights – usually just three months (less one day) from the date of the last act of discrimination or your employment ends.