The Women and Equalities Committee published its report on Pregnancy and maternity discrimination in August 2016, calling for UK women to have protections similar to those in Germany after a “shocking” increase in workplace pregnancy discrimination over the past decade.
In January 2017 the Government responded to the report. Margot James MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Small Business, Consumers and Corporate Responsibility, said: “Treating pregnant women and working mothers fairly is not only good for families and society as a whole: it makes good business sense and is important for economic growth. Attracting, recruiting and retaining working mothers contributes to the success of any business and should be a priority for all employers.”
Background information:
In March 2016, the Women and Equalities Select Committee launched an inquiry to ask why pregnancy and maternity discrimination has worsened over the past decade.