Women report 60% rise in maternity leave discrimination

New mothers are being forced onto zero-hour contracts or are being made redundant at an alarming rate, according to a new study.

Citizens Advice has recorded a nearly 60% rise in the number of women seeking advice about maternity leave issues this year, with just over 3,300 coming to the charity compared to 2,099 last year.

The introduction of fees for employment tribunals has combined with the rise of zero-hours contracts, agency work and multiple part-time jobs to make employees more vulnerable to the mistreatment of maternity rights – The Guardian reports.

While employment and sexual discrimination legislation offers protection for pregnant women, responsibility for enforcing such employment rights is spread across a wide range of agencies, from HMRC to the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, said Gillian Guy, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice.