A private member’s bill extending maternity protections passed its final reading in the House of Commons last week and is expected to become law in England, Wales and Scotland later in the year.
The new legislation - The Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Bill - which was introduced by Labour MP Dan Jarvis, was unopposed by MP’s and will now be heard in the House of Lords.
Currently, under Regulation 10 of the Maternity and Parental Leave Etc Regulations 1999 (MAPLE), during a redundancy exercise employers have an obligation to offer women on maternity or parental leave, a suitable vacancy where one exists.
The Pregnancy and Maternity Discrimination Bill will extend this redundancy protection to apply to pregnant women - from the moment she discloses her pregnancy to her employer - through to new parents returning to work from a relevant form of leave, until the child is 18 months old.
This means a mother returning from a year of maternity leave would receive an additional six months’ redundancy protection. The 18-month window will apply to Maternity Leave and Shared Parental Leave.
According to a study by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, at least 54,000 women a year experience pregnancy and maternity discrimination, or are pushed out of the workforce after becoming pregnant. Women who are illegally discriminated against often find it difficult to bring a case against their employers, not least because there is only a three-month time limit to make a claim.
Dan Jarvis MP for Barnsley Central said:
“At the heart of this Bill are tens of thousands of women pushed out of the workforce each year simply for being pregnant. I’m proud this new legislation will go some way to providing pregnant women and new mums greater protections in the workplace. I want to thank all those who’ve supported the Bill and I look forward to working with them to ensure it passes into law.”
Business Minister Dean Russell stated:
Being an expectant or new parent is already a hugely exciting yet anxious time without the added pressure of worrying whether your job is on the line.
By extending the UK’s world class workplace protections, today’s reforms will help to remove workplace discrimination and provide improved job security for employees at such an important and precious time in their lives.”
