Union warning about pregnant women and new mothers working in public services

Pregnant women and new mothers working in public services are being exposed to bullying, violence and health risks because employers ignore laws or are unaware of staff rights, according to new research.

Union and charity Maternity Action claimed there was a “worrying gap” between maternity rights in law and women’s real-life experiences at work.

A survey of more than 2,300 women who have had children from 2022 onwards found one in five had no workplace health and safety risk assessment during their pregnancy, even though employers are legally required to carry one out.

Many of those who were assessed said agreed adjustments to their work, designed to reduce potential risks, had been delayed or ignored.

The report said pregnant staff were being exposed to unsafe conditions, including violence from service users, heavy lifting, lone working, long shifts and extreme stress.

Unison general secretary Andrea Egan said: “Having a legal right is quite a different matter from actually being protected at work.

“Far too many pregnant women or returning mums are being ignored, placed at risk or treated unfairly because bad employers don’t follow their obligations.

“Those failures leave women exposed to violence and bullying when they’re at their most vulnerable. Lower-paid workers in frontline public services are bearing the brunt of this.

“Employers must close the gap between what the law says and what actually happens at work.”

Maternity Action director Ali Fiddy said: “This research confirms the all-too-familiar picture of unfavourable treatment and discrimination at work that is the reality for many pregnant women and new mothers.”