Pregnancy and maternity discrimination

Research by the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the UK Government Department for Business, Innovation and Skills found that around one in nine mothers (11%) reported that they had lost their jobs because of pregnancy and maternity-related discrimination. If scaled up to the general population this could mean as many as 54,000 mothers a year across the UK.

The research also found that one in five mothers had experienced harassment or negative comments related to their pregnancy or flexible working, while 10% reported that their employer had discouraged them from attending ante-natal appointments.

Young women aged under 25 reported higher levels of pregnancy and maternity-related discrimination than older women.

Find out more about young women and pregnancy and maternity discrimination, including information and resouces for young women.

Know your rights

Are you pregnant, on maternity leave or just returned to work? Try this quiz to find out if you know your rights.

Need to know more? Equality and Human Rights Commission has developed comprehensive resource of FAQs to help women understand their rights.

You can find the answers to questions you may have about your rights at work throughout your pregnancy and maternity leave, and when you return to work after maternity leave. You can find information about your entitlement to time off for antenatal appointments, how to prepare for maternity leave and advice on how to stay in touch with your employer during your maternity leave.