An  interesting article  posted recently has commented on a group of MPs that are attempting to get the HSE to change its guidance on managing risks to pregnant workers, recommending that they incorporate into existing guidance a new requirement for employers to carry out individual risk assessments. This comes in the light of news that 1 in 25 mothers have to leave work due to a failure by their employers to deal with the risks that they face. That’s estimated to affect approximately 21,000 women, a startling figure. 

And that’s not the end of the bad news. A report released earlier this year by the EHRC and Department for Business, Innovation and Skills found that maternity discrimination had increased dramatically in the past decade, despite the introduction of the Equalities Act in 2010.

Clearly steps need to be taken to counteract this, and giving a clear message to businesses that they must be meeting the health and safety needs of pregnant employees is crucial.