In March, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) released its latest report on pregnancy and maternity discrimination in the workplace.
In response to the report which confirmed widespread discrimination against women, Abigail Wood, Head of External Relations, NCT, said: “It’s outrageous that maternity discrimination in the workplace is so widespread in this day and age and it’s high time this denial of basic employment rights is stamped out.”
It’s particularly shocking that 77% of working mothers reported potentially discriminatory or negative experiences and 10% of pregnant women reported that their employer discouraged them from attending antenatal appointments, putting their health and that of their unborn child at risk.
The findings echo recent research by NCT which found that many women (43%) don’t take their full maternity leave with almost half (47%) stating that this was because of concerns about job security.
“We welcome the changes proposed by the Commission and urge swift action to implement them,” says Abi. “More flexible working practices can benefit employers and help them retain the talent and energy of this section of their workforce.”
