Pregnancy and Maternity Discrimination Claims

Being discriminated against because you are pregnant or have had a baby is against the law.

If you have suffered discrimination, we can help you;

1. Bring those responsible to justice
2. Create lasting change so other do not experience the indignity you have, and
3. In some cases, claim compensation

What is Pregnancy and Maternity Discrimination?

Under the Equality Act 2010, pregnancy and maternity discrimination is when someone treats your unfairly because you;

1. Are pregnant
2. Are breast feeding, or
3. Have recently given birth

It does not matter if that unfair treatment was unintentional or was out of good intention. It is still unlawful.

Different Types of Pregnancy and Maternity Discrimination

There are different types of Pregnancy and maternity discrimination;

Direct Discrimination

This is when someone treats you unfairly because you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or recently given birth.

An example might be a shopkeeper refusing to sell cigarettes to you when they see you are pregnant.

Discrimination by Association

Is when you are treated unfairly because you are with, or know someone that is pregnant, breast feeding or recently given birth.

An example is a restaurant owner asking you to leave because you are with someone who is breast feeding their baby.

Discrimination by Perception

This is when someone treats you less favourably because they think you are pregnant.

An example could be a landlord refusing to rent their property to you because they believe that you are pregnant.

Indirect Discrimination  

There are not any specific laws in the Equality Act that cover indirect discrimination because of pregnancy or maternity. If you think you may have suffered indirect discrimination, you may be able to claim for sex discrimination.

Who Can I Make a Discrimination Claim Against?

 You can claim against any person, business or organisation that provides a service to the public.

This includes but is not limited to;

• Shops and retail stores
• Restaurants
• Supermarkets
• Universities
• Gyms and spas
• Leisure centres
• Holiday Resorts and travel companies
• Healthcare providers, both private and NHS
• Councils and local authorities
• Transport companies including public and private hire
• Private clubs, and
• Government departments

How Long Do I Have to Bring a Claim For Discrimination?

The limitation period for pregnancy and maternity discrimination is 6 months less one day.

This is very short, which means if you want to bring about a claim, you must do it as soon as possible.

To get started, get in touch.

How to Make a Claim For Maternity Discrimination

If you feel you have suffered discrimination because you are pregnant of have recently had a baby, you could have a claim.

Contact our team and we can see if you have a claim we can pursue. We will also ask you if you have any evidence, we can use to support your claim.

Evidence includes:

• Any documents – this includes written communications like letters, email and/or text messages
• Voice or video evidence – this could voicemail, voice notes and videos
• Witness statements – if other people saw your discrimination, we could potentially use their statements
• Your own version of events – If discrimination happened during a conversation and you do not have any other evidence, we may be able to use your statement.

Once we have all this information, we can let you know if you have a claim worth pursuing. If you have a claim, we will let you know what the process is and explain the next steps.

Why Choose Ringrose Law?

 Our team of discrimination experts have;

• Represented individual clients, and
• Been involved in cases that affected thousands of people at once

We have made claims against private companies, public bodies, and central government.

Through the cases we have been involved in, we have seen, and continue to see how discrimination affects people. It often leaves them feeling upset, embarrassed, and angry. It also often has profound effects on their mental health.

If you have suffered pregnancy or maternity discrimination, we are on your side. We can help bring justice and create lasting change so that others in your situation do not experience what you have. In many cases, we can also claim financial compensation.