Equal Opportunities

Pregnancy Discrimination – Equal Opportunities Commission Latest Findings

The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) launched a GB-wide investigation into the issue of Pregnancy Discrimination in September 2003, due to the high volume of calls to the EOC helpline about problems at work during pregnancy and maternity and the large number of pregnancy-related employment tribunal claims.

The final report of the EOC’s investigation has uncovered the startling impact of pregnancy discrimination including that more than seven in ten pregnant women treated unfairly at work are suffering in silence. 30,000 women each year lose their jobs because of their pregnancy. Only 3% of those who experience a problem lodge a claim at an employment tribunal. Unless the current situation changes, one million pregnant women are likely to experience discrimination at work over the next five years.

The EOC’s investigation found that the key causes of pregnancy discrimination were:

• A lack of knowledge and understanding of maternity rights,
• Lack of dialogue and planning,
• Costs,
• Negative attitudes towards pregnancy and maternity.

Their campaign aims to build support for action to be taken so that pregnancy can be managed more constructively in the workplace. The campaign pages http://www.eoc.org.uk/pregnancy/ invite anyone concerned about the issue to pledge their support, visitors can also post their comments on the issue, take part in the pregnancy test and keep up to date on all the campaign news.

The report examines how the responsibilities, costs and benefits of pregnancy are currently shared between employers, the state and individual women and their families.

The findings from the report recommend that the law needs to be clearer and easily accessible and that both families and employers require more support. The EOC has taken into account women’s need to be able to combine work, motherhood and practical difficulties faced by employers in managing pregnancy in the workplace. There is also recognition for the active role fathers take in looking after their children.

More information is available on this report on the Equal Opportunities Commission web site: http://www.eoc.org.uk