Source · Select Committees · Petitions Committee
Recommendation 13
13
Accepted
Paragraph: 49
We welcome the Government’s commitments to tackling workplace discrimination against new and expectant mothers and...
Recommendation
We welcome the Government’s commitments to tackling workplace discrimination against new and expectant mothers and the actions it is taking to better understand this issue. We echo witnesses’ dismay at the apparent failure of current employment law and the tribunal system to prevent potentially discriminatory redundancies among new and expectant mothers during the pandemic. However, we note these concerns have also previously been expressed by the Women and Equalities 28 Impact of Covid-19 on new parents: one year on Committee as well as in our own report last year, and we support their conclusion that the Government has not taken the necessary preventative actions on this issue— especially in light of its failure to act on the recommendations in our previous report. The Government must swiftly rectify this failing.
Government Response Summary
The government accepts the recommendation and commits to extending redundancy protections for new and expectant mothers. This includes applying protection from pregnancy notification, extending it for six months after returning to work, and extending it for those on adoption or shared parental leave, with implementation planned as soon as parliamentary time allows.
Paragraph Reference:
49
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
Regulation 10 of the Maternity and Parental Leave Etc Regulations 1999 (“MAPLE”) provides that before making an employee on maternity leave redundant, employers must offer them a suitable alternative position, where one is available—giving the mother preferential treatment above other employees. The Government remains committed to extending these redundancy protections for new and expectant mothers. Our consultation response set out in more detail the measures we intend to take forward. • We will ensure the redundancy protection period applies from the point the employee informs the employer that she is pregnant. • We will extend the redundancy protection period for six months once a new mother has returned to work. • We will extend redundancy protection into a period of return to work for those taking adoption leave. This will follow the same approach as the extended protection being provided for those returning from maternity leave. Government Response: Impact of Covid-19 on new parents: one year on 7 • We will extend redundancy protection into a period of return to work for those taking shared parental leave. It remains our intention to introduce these measures as soon as Parliamentary time allows.