Keeping Up With The Germans?

The Women and Equalities Committee has demanded that the government publish a detailed plan to tackle the issue of pregnant women and mothers being forced out of work by employers' outdated attitudes.

Pregnancy and maternity discrimination is often covert and regularly disguised as redundancy. It can be gradual and intensifying, or much more sudden (usually almost immediately following disclosure of pregnancy or return to work). Sometimes employers choose to discriminate by omission, perhaps failing to address health and safety concerns they would previously have been proactive about. The covert nature of this discrimination can make it more difficult for a mother to evidence the poor treatment and feel that her only choice is to leave her role. Research by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills and the Equality and Human Rights Commission suggests that pregnant women and mothers now face more discrimination than they did a decade ago.