TUC: Number of new and expectant parents losing their job or facing unfair treatment at work “alarmingly high”
- NEW TUC POLLING: 1 in 7 women (14%) have lost their job - or felt forced to leave their job - due to expecting a child or becoming a parent.
- Over one in five women (21%) who have or are expecting a child also report unfair treatment at work.
- More than 1 in 10 new fathers (14%) also report experiencing unfair treatment at work.
- The TUC says the Employment Right Act will offer much needed protections to new and expectant parents, and that new protections must now be implemented in full.
The number of new and expectant parents losing their job or facing unfair treatment at work is “alarmingly high” - the TUC warns.
The warning comes as new TUC polling reveals that more than 1 in 7 women (14%) who have children or are expecting a child have lost a job - or felt forced to leave a job due to pregnancy or becoming a parent.
The reasons for being pushed out of work include:
- Working hours, role or conditions changed in a way that made it difficult to continue to work.
- Negative treatment or pressure.
- Inability to secure flexible working.
- Being selected for redundancy with the suspicion it was related to pregnancy or becoming a new parent.
Unfair treatment at work
Beyond being forced out of work, new and expectant parents also reported unfair treatment at an “alarmingly high rate”.
More than 1 in 5 women (21%) and 1 in 10 men (14%) reported experiencing unfair treatment at work due to expecting or having children.
For them, unfair treatment came in different forms:
- 17% received unpleasant comments from their employer and/or colleagues.
- 16% were given unsuitable work or workloads.
- 16% were denied access to flexible working.
- 14% experienced bullying by their line manager.
- 13% failed to gain a promotion they felt they deserved.
This unfair treatment happened throughout the pregnancy, during leave and/or on returning to work.
Afraid to take action
Of those who faced unfair treatment, were dismissed or felt forced to leave their job, 4 in 10 (37%) did not take any action.
The main reasons given for not taking action include:
- 42% found taking action to be too stressful.
- 28% did not know where to get advice and support.
- 26% did not know that their experience might be unfair or unlawful treatment.
“Pervasive culture of mistreatment”
The TUC says the findings highlighted a “pervasive culture of mistreatment” of new and expectant parents across UK workplaces.
The Employment Rights Act, which received royal assent just before Christmas, will give stronger rights at work to expectant and new parents.
These include stronger dismissal protection for pregnant women and new mothers returning from Maternity Leave.
The government is consulting on how these provisions will work in practice and is committed to introducing new protection in 2027.
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:
“Having a baby should be a moment of joy.
“But a pervasive culture of mistreatment at work is robbing too many parents of that experience. Some are even being forced out of their jobs.
“Change can’t come soon enough. The Employment Rights Act will deliver long-overdue protections for families across the country. Government must now ensure that these new rights are introduced in full as quickly as possible”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- Methodology: Opinium conducted an online survey of 3,000 UK workers (18+, excluding full-time students). Fieldwork ran 2-12 January 2026. Results were weighted to be representative of age interlocked with gender and highest qualification, region, ethnicity, full-time and part-time working status, and employee and self-employed status. Targets were derived from estimates from the Annual Population Survey (October 2024–September 2025), with highest qualification targets derived from the 2021 and 2022 Census. Questions relating to experiences of pregnancy or becoming a new parent were asked to workers who had children of any age or were expecting (n=1,776).
- About the TUC: The Trades Union Congress (TUC) exists to make the working world a better place for everyone. We bring together the 5.3 million working people who make up our 47 member unions. We support unions to grow and thrive, and we stand up for everyone who works for a living.
Contacts:
TUC press office
media@tuc.org.uk
020 7467 1248
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