Six times as many mothers under 25 reported that they were dismissed after telling their employer they were pregnant compared to older mums.
The new report, by the Equality of Human Rights Commission (EHRC) also showed that 13% of mums under 25 felt so poorly treated that they felt they had to leave their job.
The #PowerToTheBump digital campaign aims to unite young expectant mothers so that they know their rights and can be confident enough to stand up for them.
“While employers and the government have the responsibility for ensuring safe and fair workplaces, we wanted to make sure young mothers felt that there was support out there for them and that they had knowledge about their rights and how to assert them,” says Karen Jochelson of the EHRC.
“It is about empowering young women to take control of their experience at work and speak out against discrimination by understanding their rights. However it is not just young women who can make a difference. Employers play a crucial role too.”
There is plenty of practical advice and information on the #PowerToTheBump website, for both expectant mums and employers, including downloadable material and advice on how to have important conversations surrouding pregnancy.
Also laid out are five top tips on handling your pregnancy at work:
Tip 1: Talk to your boss
Tip 2: Go to your antenatal appointments
Tip 3: Plan your maternity leave
Tip 4: Talk about risks
Tip 5: Avoid stress
If you’ve worked at your job for more than 12 weeks you will be entitled to reasonable paid time off to attend appointments so your employer has a duty to be supportive.
According to the report 15% of young mums were discouraged from attending their antenatal appointments, important for checking the progress of both mother and baby.
For more help and advice, visit the #PowerToTheBump website.