But employers can improve the experiences of pregnant women and new mothers.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) commissioned a programme of research to investigate the prevalence and nature of pregnancy discrimination and disadvantage in the workplace.

The results in the ensuing report – Pregnancy and Maternity-Related Discrimination and Disadvantage First findings: Surveys of Employers and Mothers – are based on interviews with 3,034 employers and 3,254 mothers.