Good news for women expecting a baby.
Under new government proposals, women who head back to work after maternity leave will receive better job protection.
These new proposals have been created to combat workplace discrimination.
It has been suggested that legal protection against redundancy for new mothers should be extended for up to six months - the protection is only for two weeks at present.
Theresa May said, ''People in this country already benefit from some of the most rigorous workplace standards in the world, including parental leave and pay entitlements, but we are determined to do even more as we leave the EU.”
These plans follow a study commissioned by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) that found one in nine women have been fired after returning to work from maternity leave.
The statistics in the study estimated that roughly 54,000 women each year in the UK.
As well as that, it was also discovered that one in five mothers said they had experienced some form of harassment related to pregnancy at work.
Theresa May continued, ''It’s unacceptable that too many parents still encounter difficulties when returning to work. Today’s proposals are set to provide greater protection for new parents in the workplace and put their minds at ease at this important time.
Many have supported these plans including the founder of Mumsnet, Justine Roberts, who has said that a lot of her website’s users have posted stories relating to of pregnancy and maternity discrimination at that they have come across at work.
She said, ''It’s a multifaceted problem requiring a change in attitude and culture as well as legislation, but stronger legal protection is a very welcome first step.''
