Rise in complaints and lack of data convinces government to give £1m for research.

Charities that provide advice and support for women experiencing pregnancy and maternity discrimination have recorded a surge in calls to their helplines.

Maternity Action says that it answers ‘2200 calls each year from women experiencing difficulties in the workplace.’

Working Families Chief Executive Sarah Jackson said, ‘Around one in ten of our callers raise pregnancy or maternity discrimination issues and there are signs that employer attitudes are worsening rather than improving.

‘We believe that the calls to our helpline are just the tip of the iceberg.’

Since 2007, there have been more than 9,000 pregnancy discrimination claims brought against UK employers.

With the last set of comprehensive data and analysis of pregnancy and maternity discrimination dating from 2005, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has proposed a new research project into the scale of the current problem.

EHRC’s chief executive, Mark Hammond, said, ‘We will look at existing research, gather new evidence and carry out our expert analysis to establish the extent of the problem and advise on how best it can to be addressed.’

Maria Miller, Minister for Women and Equalities, announced the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s funding of EHRC’s project, calling pregnancy and maternity discrimination ‘unacceptable,’ and saying ‘I am determined that we tackle these systemic problems.’

Responses to the announcement have been enthusiastic, yet tempered by concern about the role current government policy is playing in perpetuating discrimination.

Gloria De Piero, Labour’s shadow minister for women and equalities, while welcoming EHRC’s announcement of the research project, called on the government to re-evaluate the £1,200 tribunal fee it introduced in July 2013.

The fee costs ‘the equivalent of nine weeks maternity pay, [making] challenging maternity discrimination unaffordable for new parents,’ she said.

Rosalind Bragg, director of Maternity Action, also questioned the government’s dedication to reducing discrimination, saying, ‘Cuts to advice services leave women without the specialist support they need to exercise their rights.

‘We receive 15 calls for every [one] we answer and do not have funds to expand our service to meet this demand.

‘We receive no Government funding for this work.’

Campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez also expressed reservations, saying, ‘I can’t help but feel that we are ignoring the most obvious reason why women are discriminated against in this way – money.’

She said that until equal parental leave is a reality, ‘until men are seen as equally likely to take time off because of the child that they have brought into the world, discrimination will continue – it will affect women who don’t intend to or can’t have children, as much as those who do.

‘If a company can’t know either way, it is going to take the safer bet [of hiring a man].’

The EHRC said in its announcement that ‘key to tackling this issue’ is an education and awareness-raising campaign, for both employers and employees, that will directly address pregnancy and maternity rights and obligations.

It is hard to believe that pregnancy and maternity discrimination is still a problem, with Hammond calling the situation ‘very concerning.’

‘The principles of non-discrimination were established decades ago and should be accepted as an essential part of the business environment,’ said Bragg.