EOC research finds most employers positive about pregnancy in the workplace - but many lack knowledge of the law
The majority of employers have positive attitudes to pregnancy in the workplace, according to forthcoming research from the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC). But a lack of awareness and understanding of their legal obligations could be preventing many businesses from managing pregnancy effectively. The preliminary research results are released today as the EOC launches a consultation with employers to gauge their views on how managing pregnancy at work could be made easier for Britain’s firms.
The research into the knowledge and attitudes of 450 employers was carried out as part of Pregnant and Productive, the first ever investigation into pregnancy discrimination in the workplace.
Positive attitudes
Virtually all employers who gave a rating agreed that ’women working for this organisation are positively supported during pregnancy and on return to work’. Employers in large workplaces, with a predominantly female workforce and recent experience of managing pregnancy are likely to have more positive views towards pregnancy at work. But 28% disagreed that ’it is worth training someone who is pregnant, even though she may not return to work’, despite the fact that denial of training on the grounds of pregnancy is against the law.
Knowledge of the law
When asked what they believed to be the legal rights of pregnant women and those on or returning from maternity leave, around three quarters
(73%) were able to cite at least one statutory entitlement. Those most frequently mentioned were maternity leave (46%) and maternity pay (45%). Only 25% said paid time off to attend antenatal appointments, 7% said risk assessments and 1% said sick pay/benefit.
The vast majority of employers who were able to cite one or more entitlements believe that these are totally or fairly reasonable (89%). But just over a quarter (27%) could not cite a statutory entitlement when asked to do so, and this was more likely to be the case in small workplaces, those with a mostly male workforce or an even gender split, and those in which there had not been a pregnancy in the previous three years. 77% of employers in large workplaces, compared with 19% of those in small workplaces, had developed guidelines or other support for managers relating to pregnancy in the workplace.
Most difficult issues
The uncertainty of whether and when a woman would return to work and issues relating to maternity cover - e.g. workload increases for other staff, training new staff and planning cover - were perceived to be the hardest issues to manage when dealing with pregnancy in the workplace. Generally, small and medium sized establishments found these issues harder to manage than larger ones.
Jenny Watson, Deputy Chair of the EOC, said:
’Many organisations do handle pregnancy positively and as a result see business benefits, such as better retention rates and increased productivity. Yet the results of our new research suggest that significant numbers of employers have limited knowledge of the law, which may be preventing them from managing pregnancy effectively. Practical issues, such as arranging maternity cover, can also present problems for employers who want to treat pregnant employees fairly - but both large and small employers have told us that these practical difficulties can be overcome, or at least minimised, through good planning and dialogue.
’Our consultation gives employers a chance to have their say. We want to hear from them about what would be of most help in managing pregnancy. For example, we want to know whether they think the law is currently too complex, whether they need more accessible information and advice or whether more help with the financial costs of managing pregnant employees is their top priority. We will use their feedback to help shape our final recommendations next year.’
For more information about the investigation and to obtain a consultation document, employers can log on to www.eoc.org.uk/pregnantandproductive. The consultation will close on 30 September 2004. A checklist giving managers guidance on dealing with pregnancy at work is also available on the EOC website at
EOC research finds most employers positive about pregnancy in the workplace
But many lack knowledge of the law