More than 100 UK businesses are “pledging to take action” against pregnancy discrimination in the workplace, according to reports.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has confirmed that its campaign to tackle the growing problem of workplace discrimination against pregnant and new mothers is rapidly gaining traction, with more than a million UK employees now backing the campaign.
Caroline Waters, deputy chairwoman of the EHRC, said: “Now with 100 businesses pledging to take action, we have a strong coalition to ensure working environments benefit everyone.”
She added that companies and members of their staff alike were “quite rightly taking [the] issue seriously” and “recognising that female talent is absolutely critical to the UK economy.”
Her comments come shortly after fresh research published by gender-related news directory WeAreTheCity, which found that more than a quarter (26 per cent) of women have been overlooked for jobs at the recruitment stage due to the fact that they are of childbearing age.
The same study found that a further 22 per cent of women felt that they had been passed over for positions as a direct result of having young children.
It added that 26 per cent of women who are in work believe that they do not receive equal pay, while 33 per cent have experienced sexist comments in the workplace.