Mums still face pregnancy discrimination at work, but a new free legal service launches to help
Pregnant and Protected is a free legal helpline that aims to help expectant and new parents tackle discrimination at work.
Surprisingly in 2025, new mums and mums-to-be are still facing discrimination at work. But a new, free legal helpline has launched to help parents push back.
Almost half of pregnant women, women on parental leave, and those who are returning to employment have negative experiences at work. And almost one in eight women are sacked or made redundant around the time they get pregnant or have a newborn, research by the charity Pregnant Then Screwed found.
So, the charity has launched a new initiative this week to help.
Pregnant and Protected is a helpline for new parents, set up by Danielle Ayres, an employment solicitor who specialises in pregnancy and maternity discrimination. She is a mother of two and has run an advice line at Pregnant and Screwed on a volunteer basis for 12 years.
Danielle and a team of experienced solicitors at Primas Law are offering up to an hour of confidential legal advice to parents who are struggling with workplace issues. This could include being unfairly dismissed because they’re pregnant, or treated badly at work because they’re on maternity leave.
Why this matters for parents
If you’re pregnant or have recently returned to work after having a baby, you might think your employer understands your rights — but that’s often not the case.
The laws around pregnancy and maternity are complex and employees might not know their rights, leaving illegal practices unchallenged.
“Often, people don’t know where they stand or what they’re legally entitled to, so they don’t know how to tackle it,” Danielle says.
“Pregnancy and parenthood should not be a barrier at work, but sadly, for many, it is. What is meant to be one of the happiest times of someone’s life can quickly be marred by hostile working environments or difficult bosses.”
“We aim to create fairer workplaces by offering quick access to qualified legal advice, ensuring parents understand their rights and have the support to defend them.”
How Pregnant and Protected can help
The Pregnant and Protected helpline aims to provide access to qualified solicitors for parents or expectant parents who are facing work-related issues to do with pregnancy, maternity, and childcare.
Just one hour of expert advice could help parents know their rights and what they can ask for — and how they can take action if their employer isn’t following the rules.
The team can give guidance on things like:
- Being treated differently after announcing a pregnancy
- Time off for antenatal appointments or pregnancy-related illness
- Maternity leave rights and entitlements
- How to raise a grievance about redundancy during pregnancy or parental leave
- Being replaced by a maternity cover
- Flexible working requests
- Equal pay
- IVF, surrogacy, and adoption rights
- Menopause-related workplace issues
Employers can also use the helpline to make sure they’re supporting their staff properly and following legal procedures.
You can access Pregnant and Protected by filling in a short online form and then booking a phone call with a solicitor. It’s free and confidential.
Find out more at: https://www.pregnantandprotected.co.uk/