‘Protect new mothers’ jobs’

MOTHERS returning to work after maternity leave will be protected from redundancy for six months under new legislation proposed by one of the front-runners to succeed Theresa May.

Dominic Raab has put strengthening protection for families and working mothers at the heart of his policy vision for post-brexit Britain. The former Brexit secretary has sponsored a Bill to ban employers from making new mothers redundant for six months after they return to work, up from the current limited protection women have while on maternity leave.

Writing in today’s Daily Telegraph, Mr Raab said: “By empowering parents – and supporting their choices – we can promote more resilient families, cut the gender pay gap, and enable our country to reach its full potential.”

He added: “If we want to promote the flexibility that modern parents and

our economy need, we need to protect working mothers.”

The Daily Telegraph’s Women Mean Business campaign has highlighted issues faced by working women, including discrimination against pregnant women and mothers returning to work.

The proposed Pregnancy and Maternity (Redundancy Protection) Bill aims to “prohibit redundancy during pregnancy and maternity leave and for six months after the end of the pregnancy or leave”.

Maria Miller, the Tory chairman of the women and equalities committee, will bring the Bill to the House tomorrow after criticising the Government for being too slow on helping working mothers. She said: “This Bill would make it clear – you can’t make an expectant or new mother redundant except in specific circumstances” – for example when the employer is no longer carrying on the business she was employed for.

In January, the Government ran a consultation to extend the legal protection for new mothers to six months. However, the consultation has not led to any action.

In 2016, Ms Miller’s committee had called on the Government to set out a detailed plan within two years.

Ms Miller said: “We warned almost three years ago of the significant discrimination and poor treatment faced by 54,000 pregnant women and mothers at work each year. Family life and the economy will both suffer unless workplace practices are brought into the 21st century.”