Research and analysis

Executive summary – Pregnancy and maternity: workplace experiences of parents

Published 22 October 2026

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

This executive summary presents the main findings from the full Pregnancy and maternity: workplace experiences of parents research report.

Pregnancy and early parenthood represent a significant period of change in people’s working lives. Over the past decade, employment rights and family-related protections have expanded across the United Kingdom (UK), including:

• stronger parental leave entitlements
• enhanced redundancy protections
• wider workplace rights introduced through recent legislative reforms

The former Department for Business and Trade (DBT) commissioned this study to build a clearer understanding of:

• how discrimination or unfair treatment manifests in Great Britain today
• how employees and employers navigate their rights and responsibilities
• what this means for future policy and practice

Research aims

This research aims to inform policy decisions to improve job security, workplace practice and employer awareness of their responsibilities towards pregnant women and parents in the workplace. It examines when, where and how pregnancy and parental leave-related unfair treatment occurs, and assesses the prevalence, patterns and awareness of rights across:

• pregnancy
• maternity leave
• other parental leave types

Other types of parental leave include:

• shared parental leave
• adoption leave
• neonatal care leave

Research questions

The study considers the following research questions:

• extent and patterns of unfair treatment across leave types: what the trends are over time, sector differences and disparities across demographic groups, including dismissal, redundancy or feeling pushed to leave
• timing of discrimination: when unfair treatment occurs across stages of pregnancy, leave and return to work
• employer justifications: what reasons are given for dismissal, and how these are defended
• how discrimination manifests: ways unfair treatment appears in workplace practice
• awareness of rights: how well pregnant women and mothers understand their rights and the contributing factors to unfair treatment
• employer responsibilities: how well employers understand and act on their obligations

Methodology

This research used a mixed-methods approach comprising of 5 strands. These were:

• literature review of 21 papers published after 2016 building on the study by the former Department for Business, Innovation, and Skills (BIS) and the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)
• qualitative interviews with 22 mothers and 2 fathers who perceived facing pregnancy or parental leave-related discrimination or unfair treatment in employment in the last 3 years
• qualitative interviews with 9 employers, including 6 large (with 250 or more employees), one medium, and 2 small employers (with 49 or fewer employees)
• secondary data analysis of publicly available datasets on labour market statistics, early reconciliation and employment tribunal claims between 2014 and 2024, where available
• artificial intelligence-powered (AI) analysis of select employment tribunal case decisions

Primary qualitative fieldwork and the analysis of secondary datasets were conducted between September 2025 and November 2025. The findings were triangulated and are presented in 5 chapters to answer the research questions. The main messages from each chapter are summarised as follows.

Extent and patterns of unfair treatment

Analysis of secondary labour market datasets found:

• women with young children cited family or personal reasons more frequently as the main reason for leaving their last job than other groups, though this fell slightly over the past decade (52% in 2014 to 45% in 2024 as per Labour Force Survey (LFS) data)
• men with young children are increasingly likely to leave their last job for family or personal reasons, rising from 12.4% in 2014 to 17.2% in 2024, indicating a slight shift in how childcare responsibilities are shared between parents
• dismissal and redundancy as the reasons for leaving the last job remain low and have declined over time for mothers with young dependants (from 10.5% in 2014 to 7.2% in 2024 as per LFS data)
• clear ethnic disparities exist, with Black women with dependants being 1.5 times more likely to be dismissed in their last job than White women, and 6 times more likely than Asian women. Patterns around leaving the last job for family reasons also vary by ethnic group, with women from Asian and Mixed ethnic groups citing this reason more frequently than Black women
• maternity discrimination claims were a small but consistent proportion (3.6%) of employment tribunal cases between 2020 and 2024, with most being identified early in the conciliation process and often resolved before a formal hearing (57 to 61%)

Tribunal decisions case analysis

Analysis comparing employment tribunal cases before and after the Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act 2023 to examine claimant experiences and employer justifications found that employees most commonly perceived discrimination manifested as either:

• financial loss (due to failure to gain promotion, reduction in salary or bonus, low pay rise)
• harassment, criticism or negative comments from employer or colleagues
• threats to health and wellbeing
• feeling forced to leave their jobs

Timing of discrimination was perceived to be after the announcement of pregnancy, which a majority of claimants perceived to have contributed to their dismissal.

While the first incident of discrimination was commonly reported to be during pregnancy, dismissals were equally likely to happen either during pregnancy or before going on leave or upon returning from leave.

Employers’ justifications for dismissal or negative treatment most often referenced performance or capability concerns, alongside redundancy-related explanations such as restructuring or surplus staffing. In many cases, employers did not provide clear justification for their actions.

How unfair treatment and discrimination is perceived to manifest

Qualitative interviews with pregnant women, mothers and fathers provided insights into their experiences and perceptions of unfair treatment and discrimination in the workplace. Specifically:

• line manager capability was the single biggest determinant of workplace experience, with lack of awareness, limited training, and inconsistent application of policy driving perceived unfair treatment
• weak or inconsistent communication from line managers during leave and on return-to-work amplified feelings of exclusion, uncertainty and unfair treatment, particularly around pregnancy‑related sickness and the timing of maternity leave
• employees most commonly perceived discrimination as manifesting through difficulties accessing flexible working, risks to health and wellbeing, harassment or negative comments, missed progression opportunities, or feeling forced to leave their jobs
• unfair treatment and perceived discrimination began during pregnancy and intensified over time, in some cases forcing mothers to leave the workplace or resulting in a grievance
• difficulties accessing flexible working (including denied requests, unanticipated shift changes, and return‑to‑office requirements) created tension within a wider context where home or hybrid working was increasingly common
• inadequate health and safety practices contributed directly to stress, including inconsistent or superficial risk assessments, inadequate workplace adjustments, perceived pressure to take sick leave during pregnancy, and poor facilities for breastfeeding on return to work
• reduced progression opportunities were reported, including lost promotions, diminished responsibilities, or roles that changed unfavourably during and after leave
• negative workplace attitudes and cultural assumptions about motherhood and caring responsibilities shaped daily experiences of inappropriate comments and stereotyping
• although based on a limited sample, fathers also reported challenges in accessing flexible work and leave to support partners after complicated births, highlighting wider issues around clarity, awareness and consistency of workplace support

Awareness of rights

Parents’ awareness of their workplace rights, and employers’ awareness of their responsibility and obligations towards mothers and new parents, were analysed through the qualitative interviews with parents and employers. The main messages from this evidence are:

• awareness of workplace rights varied widely, with most information-seeking occurring only at trigger points (that is, at the beginning of pregnancy, return-to-work and when unfair treatment had occurred)
• parents frequently described their employer as their main source of information.   Employees also turned to online searches, friends, family, trade unions or maternity support charities for guidance, however, often felt the information was complex and unclear
• uneven workplace rights awareness left both mothers and fathers reliant on external sources for clarity. Clear, accessible, jargon-free and up-to-date guidance was essential. New suggested communication channels were through midwives, health checkpoints or digital pregnancy apps
• there was, at times, a disconnect between organisational policies and how these were experienced by employees because of day-to-day line manager practice. Low levels of line manager awareness and experience in managing parental needs represented a significant risk for organisations and could undermine strong human resource (HR) awareness and organisational commitment

Employer practices to minimise pregnancy or maternity discrimination

Interviews with employers highlighted the steps they take to prevent and reduce pregnancy, maternity and parental‑leave‑related unfair treatment, particularly during redundancy and dismissal processes. The main findings include:

• within the limited employer sample, only occasional instances of tribunal, grievances or unfair dismissal cases linked to maternity were noted
• employers demonstrated a strong awareness of their legal obligations, striving to implement robust and compliant policies, and taking legal advice for complex cases
• large employers (250 or more employees) had introduced several enhanced policies, like equal maternity and paternity pay, neonatal leave, in vitro fertilisation (IVF) leave support, and career coaching for new parents
• small and medium-sized employers (fewer than 250 employees) cited financial constraints to being proactive despite good intentions, particularly in relation to enhancing parental pay
• inadequate line manager support was the main difficulty leading to informal complaints, typically due to lack of up-to-date knowledge rather than lack of intent
• proactive support and communication with pregnant mothers and parents were challenging for HR to deliver, particularly in large organisations where the line managers were the main point of contact

Conclusions

Overall, the research finds that formal pregnancy or maternity‑related dismissals or redundancies are relatively infrequent. However, parents continue to encounter everyday workplace practices that shape their ability to remain in work, feel supported, and progress.

The core challenge is not widespread unlawful dismissal, but day-to-day implementation and the accumulation of everyday workplace practices that negatively shape mothers’ and parents’ experiences. Policies may be in place, however practice varies, specifically around flexibility, communication, and job-role design. These implementation gaps can affect retention, wellbeing, and progression, particularly at important transition points such as pregnancy disclosure and return to work.

The research identifies several areas where greater clarity, consistency and support may help ensure that statutory protections are experienced as intended.

Implications for policymakers and employers

The study discusses the following implications for policymakers and employers:

• line manager capability is a critical lever for reducing negative experiences, as line managers are the primary determinant of employee experience and the main source of implementation failure when unsure how to respond to pregnancy-related needs
• policy effectiveness depends on day-to-day implementation, particularly at pregnancy disclosure and return to work. Stronger communication and clearer alignment of expectations between employees and managers at these crucial points may help reduce misunderstandings and prevent issues from escalating
• flexible working decisions require greater transparency and accountability. Flexible working conversations need to be positive, open and well-documented with reasoning and alternatives if a request is declined
• improved transparency in progression and reward policies and how parental leave periods are factored into decisions would reduce long-term detriment for mothers and parents and help mitigate cumulative career impacts
• stronger safeguards are needed during organisational change and redundancy processes, with employers that have sufficient resources ensuring HR and/or employment lawyer sign-off on communications and internal procedures, especially for high-risk cases
• access to clear, up-to-date rights information remains uneven and requires proactive employer action to ensure that clear, accurate and up‑to‑date parental rights information is readily accessible and consistently communicated
• monitoring should shift towards experience-based indicators, such as the quality of risk assessments, outcomes of flexible working requests, the role design on return, and whether return-to-work plans are agreed before leave ends
• better disaggregation (breakdowns) in routine workforce reporting, such as ethnicity‑disaggregated metrics, could help ensure that inequalities are identified and acted upon early
• further evidence is required for underrepresented groups and contexts for parents on shared parental leave, adoption leave or neonatal care leave
• small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) employers and employees in low paid or shift‑based roles face distinct constraints, including limited HR capacity, fewer resources, and operational pressures that make it harder to provide consistent support for pregnant women and new parents