Pregnancy and maternity discrimination

Pregnancy and maternity employment law

It is prohibited to discriminate against people because of pregnancy or maternity issues at work (in certain circumstances). Our employment law solicitors can tell you if your businesses actions or policies could be considered discriminatory, and the steps to you can take to help protect your business against discrimination claims.

Tees advises a variety of businesses, of all sizes, across a number of sectors on the complex regulations surrounding pregnancy and maternity at work. Our dedicated team has the depth of experience to understand the pressures faced by our corporate clients – and how our expertise can relieve some of that pressure.

Expert pregnancy and maternity discrimination solicitors

We advise on best practice, and work proactively to ensure that your business complies with its regulatory obligations. Our objective is to minimise the risk of any potential claim for discrimination against your business, and ensure that all policies and procedures are legally compliant. We do all of this while considering the needs of your business

For many employers, pregnancy and maternity discrimination claims commonly arise when:

• An employer treats a candidate or employee unfavourably because they are pregnant, or likely to become pregnant,  or because of pregnancy-related illness (such as morning sickness) during the ‘protected period’
• An employer treats an employee unfavourably because she is on compulsory maternity leave or taking/requesting ordinary or additional maternity leave.

Employees are protected from maternity discrimination as soon as you, the employer, are aware that they are pregnant. The protection continues even after the employee’s maternity leave ends.

Is a comparator required in pregnancy and maternity claims? 

No, because the test is whether an employee or worker has been treated unfavourably (rather than less favourably) because of their pregnancy or maternity 

leave. So there is no need for a comparator. However, identifying one may be useful to help determine whether the treatment was in fact related to the employee’s pregnancy or maternity leave.

How we work with you

At Tees, our dedicated employment law solicitors understand the sensitive and complex nature of pregnancy and maternity discrimination claims. So, if a complaint has been made against your business or staff, you can rely on Tees to support you. Our priority is always to achieve a resolution that works for your business. 

Tailored legal support for your business

Tees delivers practical, straightforward and commercially-focused advice. Anti-discrimination laws can be difficult to navigate without proper legal support, but our experts can guide you. We will work with you, to make sure your business complies with the law, and fulfils any legal obligations to employees. 

Managing legal costs

We understand how important it is to control legal costs, so we’ll be completely open with you about our fees before we start work. We’ll work efficiently to complete your work as quickly as possible and we’ll keep you informed of progress as we go along. 

What to do next

Tees will help ensure that your business is compliant with discrimination law, and help you minimise the risk of a discrimination claim being made against your business.

Call our Employment Law solicitors on 0800 0131165

For an initial consultation, at no obligation, or fill out our enquiry form and a solicitor will get in touch.

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