Equality body launches pregnancy discrimination probe
The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) has announced that it is launching an investigation into pregnancy discrimination at work.
The 17 month inquiry will be the first of its kind and will make formal recommendations to the minister for women, Patricia Hewitt, on the extent of the problem and the impact on women’s lives.
According to the commission one in five people know a pregnant woman who has experienced problems at work and it is the issue that they receive most complaints about.
In a recent survey 21% of people knew someone who had experienced problems at work because of their pregnancy. That figure rose to 33% among women aged 25-34.
Jenny Watson, Deputy Chair of the EOC said that they hear of ‘appalling’ cases of women who have been demoted, disciplined or even sacked simply for having a baby.
‘This discrimination during pregnancy continues to happen despite a widespread understanding of pregnant women’s employment rights, we urgently need to find out why,’ she explained.
Since 1997 the Government has put in place a wide range of measures to support pregnant mothers who work, including increasing both paid and unpaid maternity leave, introducing flexible working rights for new parents, and reducing the qualifying period for these rights.
