Government announces new laws for new mothers

Following consultation earlier this year, this summer the government announced its commitment to introducing new laws, when Parliament has time. One area of change is to better protect pregnant women and women returning from maternity leave in redundancy situations.

If a woman’s job is at risk of redundancy while she is on maternity leave, under the current rules, she is entitled to be offered a suitable, alternative job, assuming one exists. The changes would ensure that this protection period lasts longer. It would start the date the woman informs her employer she is pregnant and ends six months after the woman has returned to work. Provisions will also be introduced to extend protection for those returning from adoption leave and shared parental leave.

This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Please note that the law may have changed since this article was published.