Why pregnancy discrimination exists in the workplace

Research in February found that over half of working mums attribute a lack of career progress to having children, highlighting the need for greater protection of working women who return to work post-pregnancy.

Furthermore, upon their return to work up to 54,000 annually lose their jobs due to workplace discrimination, according to research by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Online project Pregnant Then Screwed was launched on International Women’s Day in 2015 to put an end to this prejudice, and since then over 500 women have shared their experiences on their website and their sister websites in Spain and the USA.

Speaking to HR Grapevine, Joeli Brearley, Founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, said this of the contributions: “In some cases the harassment is immediate and obvious, in many others; the discrimination is insidious and more subtle, in the form of gradual side-lining or reduced opportunity.”