August 2013
Featured in this insight: Business & enterprise, Public health & wellbeing
Market research reveals levels of discrimination against mothers in the workplace: New market research findings published by the legal firm Slater and Gordon have suggested that more than one in four mothers in the UK workplace feel that they are discriminated against in the workplace. Of the 1,975 women who responded to the survey, around a third stated that they found it impossible to climb the career ladder and more than half (54%) felt that their employer could do more to support working mothers. Despite these feelings, more than a third (35%) felt that they worked harder since having their children.
These findings are further supported by a previous survey, carried out by One Poll, which suggested that more than a third (35%) of mothers in the UK said their employer had not been supportive of their situation during pregnancy and a similar number (31%) did not feel they were treated well by their employer whilst on maternity leave. Indeed, more than a quarter (27%) stated that they felt pressured to return to work earlier than they would have liked. Even once they did return to work, almost three in ten (29%) felt that they were overlooked for a promotion due to maternal responsibilities.
The research also suggested that most (70%) mothers had never formally lodged a complaint with their employer regarding the issue – with a quarter (26%) not wanting to ‘rock the boat’. Half of the women interviewed also felt that the attitudes of their colleagues and more senior members of the team altered towards them after announcing they were due to become a parent.
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