Pregnancy and maternity discrimination can create significant legal and employee relations risks for employers. UK law gives strong protection to employees who are pregnant, on maternity leave or returning from maternity leave, and employers must ensure they are treated fairly throughout the employment relationship.
Common areas of risk include recruitment and promotion decisions, managing sickness absence, performance concerns, redundancy exercises, antenatal appointments and workplace comments or assumptions about pregnancy, childcare or future career plans.
In many cases, issues arise not because of deliberate discrimination, but due to a lack of manager training, poor communication, inconsistent application of policies or misunderstandings about an employer’s legal obligations. However, even unintentional discrimination can result in costly Employment Tribunal claims and reputational damage.
Our specialist employment lawyers help employers navigate these situations confidently, providing practical advice to reduce risk, ensure compliance and foster a fair and supportive workplace culture. By taking a proactive approach, employers can protect their business, support their employees and minimise the likelihood of disputes arising.
We support employers of all sizes with managing pregnancy and maternity issues confidently, fairly and in compliance with the law. Our specialist employment lawyers provide practical, commercially focused advice to help minimise legal risk and support positive workplace outcomes.
Our services include:
- Policies and risk assessments – Drafting and reviewing maternity, pregnancy and family-friendly policies to ensure they remain legally compliant and fit for your organisation.
- Manager training – Practical training to help managers understand their obligations and confidently manage pregnancy and maternity-related issues.
- Workplace advice – Guidance on sickness absence, performance concerns, grievances, flexible working requests and other sensitive employee relations matters.
- Redundancy and restructuring support – Advising on the additional protections that apply to pregnant employees and those on maternity leave during organisational change.
- Employment Tribunal defence – Supporting employers in responding to complaints and defending pregnancy and maternity discrimination claims.
