Pregnant women to get better protection from redundancy when they return to work

Currently, employers can't fire or make a pregnant women redundant just because she's pregnant when she's on maternity leave or during the first two weeks she's back in work.

If employers have to make a new or expecting mum redundant, they must offer an alternative role within the company – and the mum would get priority over other employees.

But the Government is proposing to extend these rules to the first six months when women go back to work.

It comes after Government research found that one in nine women said they had been fired or made redundant when they returned to work after having a child, or were treated so badly they felt forced out of their job.

The same research estimates that 54,000 women a year may lose their jobs due to pregnancy or maternity.

Your rights during maternity leave

• Can you be fired for being on maternity leave? No – this is classed as discrimination.
• Can you be made redundant while on maternity leave? Yes – as long as your employer genuinely needs to make redundancies. And they will have to offer you an alternative role.
• Can you still get a pay rise and accrue holiday while on maternity leave? Your employment rights to pay rises and to accrue holiday are protected during maternity leave.

Prime Minister Theresa May said: "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."

The consultation on the plans, which opens today and closes on April 5, will also look at whether dads who've taken shared parental leave and parents who've adopted should be given the same rights.

In addition, the Government will consider whether to extend the three-month limit parents have to bring a discrimination case to an employment tribunal to six months.

The Government will also look at whether it's doing enough to make sure parents are aware of their rights and that employers are following the rules.

But it couldn't give us a timescale on when it hopes the changes will take force, simply saying that it will be in due course.

It's thought the new plans are a huge pitch by the Prime Minster to nab Labour Brexit votes.

Meanwhile self-employed mums can claim up to £145 a week on maternity leave.

And it's been revealed that over 200,000 parents are missing out on up to £8,500 a year by wrongly claiming child benefit.

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