Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) commissioned a programme of research to investigate the prevalence and nature of negative experiences and possible discrimination and disadvantage in the workplace among pregnant women at work and new mothers on their return to work. It also explores employer attitudes, approaches and challenges in managing pregnancy and maternity in the workplace. The results are based on survey interviews with 3,254 mothers and 60 follow-up in-depth interviews mothers, as well as 3,034 survey interviews with employers and 49 follow-up in-depth interviews with employers. The research covers the experiences of mothers working while pregnant, on maternity leave and returning to work as the mother of a young baby, and the experiences and views of employers regarding managing employees while pregnant, on maternity leave and returning from maternity leave.

Main Topics:

The mothers data covers: the reporting and nature or negative or possibly discriminatory experiences, employer support and line manager / HR dynamic, health and safety risk management, communication while on maternity leave, returning to work, redundancy, requests for flexible working, breastfeeding, raising concerns and complaints and looking for work while pregnant or the mother of a young child. The employers data covers: employer awareness of and attitudes towards statutory rights; difficulties relating to pregnancy and maternity, identification and management of risks, communication while on maternity leave, requests for flexible working, breastfeeding, prevalence and management of complaints, recruitment and redundancy and dismissals.

Simple random sample

Multi-stage stratified random sample

Purposive selection/case studies

Face-to-face interview

Telephone interview

Postal survey

also Web-based survey