Research by Mumsnet finds culture of discrimination against new mothers
Pregnant women and those returning to work after maternity leave have reported worrying levels of discrimination, a survey from online community Mumsnet has found.
The website surveyed 1,029 of its members to reveal that 60 per cent felt less employable after starting a family, while 75 per cent said they’d found it harder to progress in their career.
Nearly a fifth of respondents said that during pregnancy their line manager or employer did not support them. And of those, almost half said they were made to feel guilty about having a child, a quarter said their job was under threat and more than a third said they felt ignored when it came to career progression.
One Mumsnet user said: “[On informing my employer I was pregnant] I was told [by my boss he] was very disappointed in me.”
Mums that returned to work after the birth of their child found they also faced prejudice with a quarter of respondents reporting that their line manager or employer was not supportive. Among this group, 46 per cent said they were made to feel guilty for leaving on time to collect their child, while 26 per cent said they felt their job was under threat.
“I was deliberately pushed towards less financially rewarding role as it was assumed I would not be interested in a more challenging and lucrative role any more,” one returning mother told the survey.
The majority of those survey (eight out of 10) agreed that there needs to be a cultural change or shift to reduce discrimination around maternity leave, while flexible working was identified as the policy that would most help working parents. Worryingly for employers, more than half of respondents thought “more legislation” was needed to protect women’s rights.
“It is sadly still far too common for women to feel shoved aside at work because they’ve decided to have children,” said Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.
“Aside from the obvious unfairness, it’s also bad for our economy, which means everybody ends up losing out.”
Justine Roberts, Mumsnet chief executive, said: “While we have legislation designed to protect women against discrimination in the work place it’s clear that in many cases companies are simply not following the rules.
“Our survey reveals how important the culture created at work is. As members of our Family Friendly programme attest supporting women on their return to work improves retention rates and ultimately adds value to a company.”
Clegg hosted the Mumsnet Family Friendly Awards on Monday evening where Metro Bank, Matalan, Butlin’s, Pizza Express and Starcom MediaVest Group won awards for their employment policies.
“There are many employers out there who do understand the need to retain the best staff and who want to help families better balance work and home. The companies being recognised today set a shining example,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.
From April 2015, the government will introduce shared parental leave to allow families to be more flexible around childcare. It will also give women the option to go back to work earlier and fathers the opportunity to spend more time with new-borns.