The UK is often praised for its policy granting up to 52 weeks of maternity leave.
Sounds great, right? But with that generous leave comes another issue for working mothers- pregnancy discrimination.
Over 54,000 women are forced out of a job after having a child, a stat reported by the Equality and Human Rights Commission and that shockingly high number was brought to light more recently by a tell-all site, “Pregnant Then Screwed” – where women can anonymously share their workplace nightmares.
Fortune reports on countless women sharing their awful workplace experiences:
“‘When I told my employer, she asked me if I had considered an abortion.’
‘They said that the woman who was covering maternity leave had better skills to take the company forward and they were dismissing me.’”
Maybe it’s the employer’s focus and priorities that need a shift.