Released on: 23 July 2015
Responding to the Equality and Human Rights Commission report on pregnancy discrimination NCT Public Affairs Manager Abigail Wood said:
“It is unacceptable that in 2015 a woman can lose her job for being pregnant. That over 50,000 do so every year is disgraceful.
“Becoming a parent should be a joyful time yet this report paints a picture of harassment, ill-treatment and denial of basic employment rights.
“These findings build on research NCT carried out last year which found that 43% of women don’t take their full maternity leave, with 47% stating that this was because of concerns about job security.
“If employers do not challenge these practices, they will continue to miss out on the talent and energy of a large proportion of the workforce.
“We clearly still have a lot of work to do to make society a fairer place for new parents. NCT is calling on employers and the Government to take action to tackle discrimination against new mothers.”