Pregnant women face workplace hostility and ‘sham redundancies’, Australian human rights report finds

Australian Human Rights Commission report finds pregnant women face workplace hostility and 'sham redundancies'

The full report

A report by the Australian Human Rights Commission has found that pregnant women in Australia face workplace hostility and 'sham redundancies', with many being forced out of employment after having a baby.

The report, titled 'Balancing Act', suggests that pregnancy discrimination is more prominent for vulnerable groups, including immigrant and First Nations women, people with disability and LGBTQ+ people.

The commission held roundtables with dozens of parents, legal and community advocates when compiling the report, which includes a case study of Luisa*, an experienced HR manager in the healthcare industry who was made redundant one month after telling her employer she was pregnant.

The sex discrimination commissioner, Anna Cody, has called for urgent law reform to the sex discrimination act to protect women and families, arguing that legislation has not kept pace with a changing society.

Cody said that women often delayed telling their employers about pregnancies for fear of losing work, and that when they did tell, they would experience performance management, loss of shifts, or 'sham redundancies'.

A 2014 national review by the AHRC found that 49% of mothers reported discrimination during pregnancy, parental leave or on their return to work, and Cody said that discrimination remained widespread but it was hard to know whether the situation had improved.