1 in 4 pregnant women have faced discrimination at work during pandemic, study shows

‘Employers are routinely flouting health and safety law,’ says Trades Union Congress

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One in four pregnant women have faced discrimination at work amid the coronavirus outbreak, new research had found.

According to a survey of 3,400 women carried out by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), one quarter of those who have been pregnant or on maternity leave during the pandemic have experienced unfair treatment at work, such as being singled out for furlough or redundancy.

The research found that low-paid pregnant women were more likely to have been forced to stop work during the pandemic compared to high-paid pregnant women.

Additionally, some women told the TUC that they were forced to take sick leave even though they were not unwell, while others were told to start their maternity leave early because their employer could not ensure their workplace was safe for them to continue working.

Such actions are against the law, the TUC points out, given that all employers are required to ensure their place of work is safe for everyone according to a Covid-19 risk assessment, and this includes accommodating for pregnant women and new mothers.

The TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Work should be safe for pregnant women and new mums, but our research has uncovered shocking levels of pregnancy and maternity discrimination during the coronavirus outbreak.

“Employers are routinely flouting health and safety law. This puts women’s lives, and the health of their unborn babies, at risk.

“Ministers must require every employer to do an individual risk assessment for every pregnant woman and new mum. If it’s not safe for women to keep working, employers must suspend them on full pay.

“Employers must stop illegally selecting pregnant women and new mums for redundancy, and bosses who break the law should be fined.”