Research showing widespread discrimination against pregnant women in Britain’s workplaces was unveiled last week, with a leading employment lawyer warning that law firms can be among the worst offenders.

Each year around 30,000 working women are sacked, are made redundant or leave their jobs due to pregnancy discrimination, according to a report produced by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC).


The EOC study revealed that of the 441,000 women who are pregnant at work each year, almost half (45%) said they had experienced some form of discrimination because of their pregnancy. A fifth (21%) said they had lost out financially due to discrimination, while one in 20 (5%) was put under pressure to hand in their notice when they announced the pregnancy.


Common forms of pregnancy discrimination range from the denial of promotion, bonuses and training opportunities, and changes in job descriptions, to being left out of decisions and even verbal abuse, the EOC said.


Helen Mason, an employment partner at Derby firm Flint Bishop & Barnett, said: ‘While large law firms have got their acts together, medium and small firms can be the worst employers to work for, not least because the partners are still predominantly male.’


She said it would be rare for women to be sacked or made redundant by a firm due to pregnancy, but it has a real impact on promotion and pay. It is especially tough for women who have had children to make it to equity partner; they face resentment from male colleagues who see them as being less committed, she said.


Ms Mason added: ‘It requires a process of education, but lawyers are the worst people to educate; there is an arrogance that makes them reluctant to accept external advice.’


Gareth Brahams, employment partner at City firm Lewis Silkin, said: ‘While women are on maternity leave they are not gaining important post-qualification experience which has an impact on partnership decisions – how to deal with this issue presents a difficulty.’


He continued: ‘A good number of professional women want to come back to work part-time after starting a family, but are seen as less committed, creating a glass ceiling in terms of promotion.’

Mr Brahams added: ‘Firms need to be clear about what people need to do to get partnership and work out how that can be squared with a work/life balance. They are being forced to look at and consider what kind of work genuinely requires the fee-earner to be available throughout the working week and what work can be given to those working three days a week, without client service being affected.’