Pregnant women victims of microaggressions and discrimination at work, study finds

Researcher says findings show ‘glass ceiling’ remains for women in UK workforce, write Conrad Duncan

Recent studies have found that pregnant women have faced discrimination at work during the Covid-19 pandemic (Getty Images)

Around half of women believe that taking maternity leave has hurt their careers, with many pregnant women facing microaggressions at work during their pregnancy, according to a study.

Research by Dr Yehia Nawar, of London South Bank University, found that about 50 per cent of respondents said taking maternity leave had a negative impact on their careers, while a third said it had not.

The findings, which have been shared at the British Academy of Management online annual conference, came from an online survey of 104 women, which included senior managers.

“All women that gave feedback about maternity said that since they became pregnant, men in their companies had treated them differently,” Dr Nawar told the conference.

“The most common microaggressions were discriminatory comments about the women having a ‘preggy brain’ when doing their work, or comments about their pregnancy…

“But there are also negative assumptions made about taking additional time off work upon return and being less available to attend meetings or conferences.”

He added: “A large number of women had experienced a more difficult situation at the workplace because of their pregnancy, such as missing promotions and no further pay-rise or bonus.”

The study also asked those polled if they felt there was any type of barrier or glass ceiling at their workplace, with nearly half saying there was and a quarter saying there was not.

More than a third of respondents also said that their self-esteem had suffered as a result of discrimination, with examples including disrespectful comments such as being mistaken for a personal assistant and being called “dramatic” when pointing out a problem.

“This demonstrates that a glass ceiling and gender bias is deep in the UK, and that it is affecting women’s careers,” Dr Nawar said.

“More specifically, microaggressions, discriminations, harassments, inequalities, stereotypes, prejudice, organisational culture and maternity are destroying women’s career prospects.”

Recent research has found that discrimination against pregnant women at work has been an issue during the Covid-19 pandemic, with campaigners warning that mothers-to-be and new mothers have been singled out for redundancy by employers.

A survey of 3,400 women carried out by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), published in June 2020, found that one quarter of those who had been pregnant or on maternity leave during the pandemic had experienced unfair treatment at work.

It also found that low-paid pregnant women were more likely to have been forced to stop work, by being singled out for either furlough or redundancy, than high-paid pregnant women.

More recently, Labour pledged earlier this year to make it illegal for women to be made redundant during pregnancy and for six months after their return to work, as part of a wider push for gender equality in workplaces.

“Making it illegal to make a new mother redundant during pregnancy and maternity leave, except in very specific circumstances, is a simple, robust way to end discrimination,” Marsha de Cordova, Labour’s shadow women and equalities secretary, said in May.