Number of women losing jobs while pregnant or on maternity leave increasing

Instead of enjoying bonding with her newborn during maternity leave last year, Rhiannon instead found herself scrambling to find a new job, stealing an hour at a time between breastfeeds to apply for work or to interview.

- RACHEL CLUN

“It completely changed my maternity leave,” she said of her experience. “I made quite clear to my employer I was going to take a full year off this time and enjoy it and not think about work. I was robbed of that.”

Rhiannon, who only wanted to use her first name to protect her privacy, was made redundant alongside several other women who were also on maternity leave or who had babies within the past 18 months.

“I was applying for jobs the next day. My baby was not three months old, and sitting at my desk with me,” Rhiannon said. “I should still be off. I was planning to be off until March 2025, but I actually had to return to an alternative role in November last year just to secure employment and the ability to feed my kids and pay my mortgage.”

Rhiannon and her colleagues were among a rising number of women who lost their jobs while pregnant or on maternity leave last year, according to new data.