The department for business, energy and industrial strategy (BEIS) has made a commitment to ensure that new and expectant mothers have sufficient protection from redundancy in the workplace
The commitment is in response to a report by the women and equalities select committee on pregnancy and maternity discrimination, with BEIS planning to consult on the matter in due course.
The committee proposes that government should implement a similar system to that used in Germany where women can only be made redundant only in specified circumstances and that this protection should apply throughout maternity leave and for the following six months, urging the government to make this change within the next two years.
Recommendations are also put forward to ensure that temporary and agency staff and those on zero-hours contracts, have the same pregnancy and maternity rights as employees, including the right to time off to attend ante-natal appointments, with the report stating that ‘employers should be required to undertake an individual risk assessment when they are informed that a woman who works for them is pregnant, has given birth in the past six months or is breastfeeding’.
Another recommendation in the report is: ‘It is imperative that new and expectant mothers who are concerned that their health and/or the health of their baby is being put at risk by their work have an easily accessible, formal mechanism to compel their employer to deal with such risks appropriately.’
The government agrees that employers should safeguard the health of women who are pregnant or have recently given birth and are breastfeeding.
Margot James, business minister, said: ‘We are determined to tackle pregnancy and maternity discrimination and a key part of that is making sure new and expectant mothers are supported and treated fairly by their employers.
‘While most businesses abide by the law, some do not. There should be zero tolerance of discrimination against pregnant women, or women who have just given birth, that’s why today we are committing to making sure new and expectant mothers have sufficient protections from redundancy.’
The women and equalities select committee’s report on pregnancy and maternity discrimination is available here.
