Three quarters of mothers working in the accountancy sector would advise their female colleagues to delay telling their bosses they are pregnant until the last possible moment, according to research commissioned by employment law specialists Slater & Gordon which also shows higher levels of discrimination in this sector.

The firm's survey of over 100 accountants with children revealed a third (33%) felt they had been subjected to discrimination, either before or after the birth of their child by being overlooked for promotion (56%), being demoted (20%), having responsibility taken off them (42%) or not being treated fairly (24%).

More than two thirds of mothers (71%) in the accountancy sector said life at work had been 'difficult' for them since they returned from maternity leave, while half believe the attitudes of their employers and colleagues towards them changed when they fell pregnant.

Not being 'kept in the loop' (47%), not being included (63%), and feeling ignored by the boss or colleagues (29%) were all common complaints, according to the survey, which also found that 67% of mother felt they did not have the support of their bosses.

The findings are part of a larger investigation into the experiences of some 2000 mothers in the workplace which found that one in four mothers who have returned to work believe they have been subjected to discrimination, either before or after the birth of their child. The overall proportion of women reporting problems was lower than for the accountancy sector specifically.

In addition, nearly half of all working mothers in the survey felt having children halted their career progression, while two thirds described working life as 'difficult' following their return from maternity leave and a third described rising up the career ladder as a mum 'impossible'.

Kiran Daurka, lawyer at Slater & Gordon said: 'It is in everyone's interest to ensure that working mothers are allowed to work to their full potential. The workplace is changing and it is more important than ever that we take advantage of a work force that are often happy to do early starts and late finishes and even weekends if it means it works around them having children. Flexibility really can be win-win for everyone.'