UK Women Feel the Pressure of Juggling Work and Family, according to recent study

A recent Ipsos MORI survey revealed that balancing work and care responsibilities is seen by only 14% of the global population as the most important issue facing women and girls. With 17% of women and 11% of men citing it as a priority, the issue lags behind topics such as sexual harassment (31%), sexual violence (28%), and equal pay (19%).

In this regard, we are ahead of the global average. With 18% of the UK reporting the subject as a pressing matter, Britain placed ahead of the United States (12%) and Sweden (15%) in awareness, but behind Japan (27%), Russia (20%), and China (21%).

Pregnancy and maternity discrimination in the UK is prohibited by the Equality Act 2010, but the findings of the Ipsos study reveal that women continue to feel the dual pressures of work and family – even if they don’t necessarily prioritise this over other issues.

The results, which were released earlier this year, come after the Equality and Human Rights Commission reported that discrimination faced by mothers is in fact very real:

• 46% of employers agree that it is reasonable to ask women if they have young children during recruitment;
• 41% of employers believe that pregnancy puts an unnecessary cost burden on the workplace;
• one in five mothers say they experienced harassment or negative comments related to pregnancy or flexible working at the workplace; and 
• one in nine mothers were dismissed, made compulsorily redundant, or treated so poorly they felt they had to leave their job.

Contact Our Pregnancy & Maternity Discrimination Solicitors Hertfordshire & London, UK

Women facing pregnancy or maternity discrimination should consider gaining expert legal advice. Lloyd Donnelly deals with a wide range of discrimination cases and has an experienced employment team. Please contact us on 01442 330 446 or through our online enquiry form.