Maternity discrimination plans ‘not good enough’

By RCM on 27 January 2017 Research Report Government Maternity Discrimination

The new report by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is the government’s response to a Women and Equalities Select Committee report on pregnancy and maternity discrimination, published in August 2016.

Amy Leversidge, employment relations advisor at the RCM, said the plans for tackling maternity discrimination in the workplace are a positive step forward.

But she added that it is disappointing to see that the impact of employment tribunal fees had been ignored in these government plans. 

‘The RCM for some time now has been calling on the government to rethink the employment tribunal fees that were introduced in 2013, as it is clear from the research that these fees are a barrier to women accessing justice,’ said Amy. ‘It’s a shame that they have disregarded our advice on this occasion.’

She said the RCM welcomes the recommendation that all healthcare professionals receive training to ensure they are able to provide simple advice surrounding maternity related employment rights.

And she said it was pleasing to see the report highlight a 2016 RCM guide. 

‘Pregnancy and Maternity Rights at Work was produced as a resource for our members to equip them with the knowledge and information they need to support and empower women who may be experiencing maternity discrimination at work,’ said Amy.

It is important to tackle pregnancy and maternity discrimination, she said, because it could cause stress, anxiety, and depression in women, which can have an impact on the health of the woman and her baby. 

She added that women who are denied their right to attend antenatal appointments miss out on essential screening tests and valuable advice around smoking, nutrition, and their maternal mental health.

Later this year, the RCM will launch a new i-learn training resource that will enable midwives to train and refresh their skills. 

‘We will continue to work closely with the Equality and Human Rights Commission to produce tools for midwives,’ said Amy.

To read the response to the select committee report, click here. To read the government report, published last August, click here.