Better job protection needed for working mums, say MPs

"Urgent action" is needed to give new and expectant mothers more protection at work after a "shocking" increase in discrimination, MPs have said.

The Women and Equalities Committee is calling for a German style system, where it is harder to make women redundant during and after pregnancy.

The number of expectant and new mothers forced to leave their jobs has almost doubled to 54,000 since 2005, it said.

The government said it would consider the recommendations carefully.

"Urgent action" is needed to give new and expectant mothers more protection at work after a "shocking" increase in discrimination, MPs have said.

The Women and Equalities Committee is calling for a German style system, where it is harder to make women redundant during and after pregnancy.

The number of expectant and new mothers forced to leave their jobs has almost doubled to 54,000 since 2005, it said.

The government said it would consider the recommendations carefully.

The report also called for government assurances that rights and protections would not be eroded, given the uncertainty following the vote to leave the European Union.

'Outdated attitudes'

Business Minister Margot James said: "It is completely unacceptable that pregnant women and new mothers are apparently being forced to quit their jobs because of outdated attitudes.

"Tackling this issue is a key priority of mine and this government and I would like to thank the committee for its important work. We will consider its recommendations carefully and respond in due course."

Angela Rayner, shadow minister for women and equalities, said the report shows thousands of pregnant women are being "priced out of justice" because of tribunal fees introduced by the government.

Former Liberal Democrat equalities minister Jo Swinson, now chairwoman of the charity Maternity Action, said the government had no "coherent strategy" to reduce "alarmingly high rates of pregnancy discrimination at work".

Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said it was a "confusing landscape" that meant "some bad bosses" were "getting away with treating their employees unfairly".

Last week, a study for the Institute for Fiscal Studies showed that the earning power between men and those women returning to work after having a child becomes steadily wider. Over the subsequent 12 years, women's hourly pay rate falls 33% behind men's.

Claire Dawson, head of employment at law firm Slater and Gordon, said that, despite the fact that the UK prohibits discrimination against pregnant women and women returning from maternity leave, "we regularly act for clients who have been made redundant while on or shortly after returning from maternity leave".

"The last thing they want to do at this time in their lives is engage in a legal battle and in many cases, they simply can't afford to," she added.