Guardian readers have been discussing a call for better job protection for new and expecting mothers. Here are are some of their comments
MPs are demanding urgent government action to tackle a “shocking and unacceptable” rise in workplace discrimination in the UK against expectant and new mothers over the last decade.
Related: Workplace discrimination: when a pregnant pause becomes more long-term
This is, sadly, really necessary. I was discriminated against when I returned to work after my first child and made redundant while eight months pregnant with my second. This is despite glowing reviews all the way to the end. My job was given to the man who covered my maternity but who I had to clear up after (acknowledged all the way up to directors) as he messed up a lot of senior client relationships while covering my job. I could have fought my redundancy so the man was made redundant, not me, especially as my job still existed, his didn't, but at that point I'd lost the will to fight. Of course, I couldn't look for work straight away so now have a gap in my cv which is impossible to miss. I have a new job now but in a much smaller firm with fewer prospects (and lower pay). And my case is not unique.
Terrible, but not unusual. When I returned to my well-paid, senior job after taking four months maternity leave my role had been "re-structured". I was devastated, especially as I had a dreadful delivery and was still recovering. I had no choice but to return to work and I had actually been looking forward to it as I liked my job. After that, I stuck it out for a year and then did a sideways move to get the hell out of there. I'm now in a very senior management position at another workplace, but I know that it has taken me longer to get here as a result of that demotion, in effect. I look back, four years later, and wonder why the hell I didn't fight and seek legal advice. However, as you alluded to, being a new mother is one of the most stressful experiences and I just wasn't up to it. Hope all works out for you.
Typical short-sighted behaviour of the side of employers, similar to training new generations of staff. Someone needs to give birth and train your potential future employees. I suppose this doesn't matter much if you run a cutthroat, cowboy business without a future.
Stunning how many comments arguing against maternity pay are from people who very clearly don't know how maternity pay works. Most of it is reclaimed by the company, and in some cases the amount reclaimed includes the company admin costs. The company is NOT asked to keep paying a pregnant employee their full salary while they are on maternity leave! I do wish people would get their facts right before making a comment.
I've presently got one member of staff who is suffering horrendously with morning sickness, she has been working from home when she can for three weeks, and has been doing a fine job. At the other end, our loyalty will get repaid, and the other women in the office will again see how well they are treated, meaning we are more likely to retain them.
We did recently have a lady, who we offered a job to, who was due to start next month. She called us to say she was three months pregnant (not disclosed at interview), and as such would need to move on to the company medical scheme immediately, rather than the standard six month waiting period. We refused her request, so she isn't joining, but she clearly felt quite aggrieved at this.
Whilst I'm sure she has the right not tell us she was pregnant at interview, that is quite a different circumstance for the employer than it being an existing employee, and if I'm honest, had I known, I wouldn't have offered the job to her.
Employers have virtual impunity here. They act safe in the knowledge that most of those who suffer a loss at their hands cannot afford the tribunal fees introduced by the coalition government of £1,200 just to get to a hearing (previously it was free).
Even those that manage to overcome this financial obstacle, will discover that compensation awards are restrictive and fixed by statute. Those who succeed at a full hearing of the tribunal are not entitled to claim the costs of legal representation from their employers, so the solicitor and potentially barrister is to be paid out of any compensatory award given.
These articles should give more detail on how maternity pay works, how much, who pays etc.
The Govt website seems to say that employers can claim between 92 and 103% of the money back.
Why don't they make both paternity and maternity compulsory? For several months at least Then in one stroke you remove a huge chunk of the gender-based discrimination in hiring that women face and fathers get a bigger role in the child's upbringing.
Then down the road senior management (mostly male) won't begrudge women taking time of work as they'll have been forced to do so themselves at some point.
As someone who is seven months pregnant, I can assure you I am far less productive than I was. I am slower around the office, unwilling to do somethings I did before (like climb ladders to get down stock), take more time off. Above all, I am far less focused on work and far more focused on my new (and first) baby to come. I intend taking a far bit of time off work as well when the baby comes and I am not that interested in the marketing plan for next year, leaving that to my business and life partner, my husband.
Not every woman is the same but to pretend that pregnancy and then raising children does not effect your productivity is a triumph of ideology over reality
My wife was made redundant 4 months ago when she was 6 months pregnant. The company she worked for went into administration and then liquidated the shell company, mainly so they could close their last uk factory without having to pay any redundancy to the 350+ workers there. Every other member of staff was kept and transferred to a new shell. However, they took the opportunity to also get rid of the two pregnant women in their head office to avoid paying them any of their benefit entitlements. The cheeky fuckers then told my wife they would take her back on once she was ready to come back to work! Without paying her any of her owed money, obviously.
I was discriminated against from the moment I took a few hours off to go for the 12 week scan. My line manager recorded all anti-natal appointments under holiday leave and I was threatened with demotion if I carried on taking 'unnecessary' time off. I only managed to keep my job by contacting my Union who accompanied me to meetings with my line manager (she was Head of Human Resources and should have had a better understanding of the law). The stress was unbearable. After maternity leave they contacted me to tell me my job was no longer available (it had been given to the person who was covering for me) but that I had been moved to another position with a lower job grade. I could have gone to tribunal as my previous job was still there but I couldn't face it, it's the last thing you need when you're a new parent and I wanted to enjoy my son's early years without all that stress hanging over me so I resigned and started my own company.
Continue reading...from Pregnancy | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2c4vEcf
ليست هناك تعليقات:
إرسال تعليق