Deciding to start a family is a big decision with many variables that need to be considered at different stages of the pregnancy and your child’s early years. One of the key considerations that come to mind early on in the process is usually your employment. There is no doubt that if you are a woman and you are working, becoming pregnant is going to have an impact on your employment, both in the short term and likely in the long term as well.
By law, UK employers offer maternity leave to their female employees who become pregnant. However, the consequences of having a baby can go beyond the actual pregnancy and far into the future. You and your employer will need to consider what will happen regarding your employment beyond your pregnancy and into your child’s early years. As many women who have children cannot return to work on the hours they worked prior to becoming pregnant and have to return to part-time hours.
This can cause a high level of concern, that falling pregnant will negatively impact your employment. You may worry that you will be penalized due to the fact that you require maternity leave and potentially part-time hours on your return. Could you potentially lose your employment as you are no longer able to fulfill the demands of your job due to shorter working hours? Will you still receive the same kinds of opportunities that you had prior to your pregnancy? Will your employer and/or co-workers consider that your job isn’t your number one priority anymore and treat you negatively because of this?
There are many fears that can spin out of control if you let them. This article will alleviate those fears by laying out the legal position and your rights when you become pregnant. While it is impossible to guarantee that your employer or co-workers will treat you fairly should you become pregnant, this article will outline the legal redress available to you if they fail to treat you fairly
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