What did we do?

1. Pregnancy and Maternity-Related Discrimination and Disadvantage: Findings from 2015 research for the EHRC and BIS

2. What did we do? Background • This research aimed to provide up to date and robust evidence base on issues relating to pregnancy and maternity discrimination • Investigated experiences of women (with a child aged 9 to 24 months) of being pregnant at work, on maternity leave and returning to work (where relevant). Explored the views and experiences of employers. Fieldwork • October 2014 – May 2015 • Survey of 3,254 mothers (30 minute telephone interview) • 60 follow-up face-to-face depths with mothers • Survey of 3,034 employers (28 minute telephone interview) • 49 follow-up face-to-face depths with employers and 2 focus groups Interpreting the results • The survey findings are based on employers’ and mothers’ perceptions of their experiences. Mothers’ experiences do not necessarily fall under the legal definition of discrimination. Only an employment tribunal can determine whether unlawful discrimination or unfair dismissal has occurred.

3. How prevalent were negative or possibly discriminatory experiences? At any stage Felt forced to leave job 11% Financial loss 20% Any negative experience 77% Negative impact on opportunity, status or job security 50% Risk or impact on health or welfare 41% Harassment / negative comments 20% Negative experience related to breastfeeding 5% Negative experience related to flexible work requests 11% Other negative experience 60% Base: All mothers (unweighted: 3,254)

4. Which mothers were most likely to report feeling forced to leave their jobs? Felt forced to leave Length of service Employed for less than a year Skilled trades Caring, leisure and other service Occupation Salary Lower paid (less than £20k per year) Small (5-49 staff) Employer size Utilities Private sector Industry sector Those with a long-term physical or mental health condition Disability status Employer does not recognise a trade union Trade union recognition

5. Felt forced to leave case study: treated badly during pregnancy and on return to work Sales assistant for coffee shop chain, earning £5,000–£9,999 a year, aged 20–24 Emma reported having a negative experience of working while pregnant, feeling that her employer was not very understanding of her needs and she said she received negative comments throughout her pregnancy from her supervisor. Emma was working full-time in the early months of her pregnancy but said she was told she wasn’t entitled to maternity pay as her contract was only for 12 hours per week. She reported she had to threaten her Head Office with a formal complaint before they agreed to base her maternity pay calculations on the average number of hours she worked per week. She thought her employer was trying to encourage her to leave as they wanted to employ students and not people with families who might make things ‘complicated. On return from maternity leave Emma said she could work three particular days a week, but any shifts on those days. This was agreed but she ended up feeling awkward and guilty. She also felt overlooked for training and development because she worked part-time. She felt she had to leave, and found another job.

6. Redundancy case study: unsatisfactory outcome from being offered an alternative position Administrator in medium sized finance company, £10,000–£19,999 a year, aged 20–24 Jyoti worked for a medium sized company in the Finance sector, performing an administrative role. During her maternity leave the company went through a restructure. Jyoti says she wasn’t made aware of this and her role was made redundant. Jyoti was offered a role in a different department which she took, however she found she didn't like or understand the new role and felt that no real support was offered. She has since moved to a different employer. 'When they’re closing the different bits of the company down and my role, it would be nice to know what I was going back to. I didn’t know what I was going back to until I went in and said this is the day I want to come back. I could have done with the support because I went back to a new role so I had no idea what I was doing and well after I still didn’t have an idea what I was doing so there wasn’t the support there with that.”

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