Being a working mum is difficult, but luckily Acas, a conciliation service and non-departmental public body of the government, has given new guidance in order to help women in the workplace.
Acas recommends that companies put in more effort to accommodate their pregnant employees and staff on maternity leave, according to the Independent.
The organization has received an unprecedented surge in discrimination complaints from pregnant staff or those on maternity leave. The service received more than 14,000 calls last year on pregnancy and maternity discrimination. This is an astounding 10 percent increase from those they received the previous year.
As a result, Acas has urged firms to inform their employees on maternity leave about training or promotion opportunities available to them. The organization recommends as well that companies provide pregnant staff with a place to rest, address any health or safety issues in the workplace that affect these employees, and not include pregnancy-related absences on staff’s records.
"It's fantastic that pregnancy and maternity discrimination is protected by the law, but calls to our helpline show that this is still an issue,” Julie Denis, head of diversity and inclusion at Acas, said to the Independent.
“Women should not suffer any unfair treatment while pregnant or on maternity leave, and most employers treat their employees fairly. Those that don't could find themselves at an employment tribunal,” she continued, “This new guidance can help managers deal fairly with women at work in areas such as recruitment, promotion, and redundancy.”
Have you been discriminated against in the workplace due to being pregnant or being a mum? What could employers do to end such discrimination?
