I was three months postpartum when I got the summons for a zoom call, HR attending with a smile that should have been left at the office: my job no longer existed.
Or rather, I was no longer a good fit for whatever they wanted my job to be. I was redundant: just like that, slap bang in the most vulnerable time of my life. In the fog in the middle of sleepless nights, breastfeeding struggles, and trying to heal from the physical trauma of birth, I was also supposed to somehow fight for my right to continue my career.
And I wasn’t alone.
Within my wider group of friends, four other women faced the same fate in the same year. We passed around solicitor information like it was baby sleep advice, all of us exhausted, furious, and deeply, deeply hurt.
Because this isn’t bad luck. It’s a pattern. And it’s happening everywhere.
If you’ve ever wondered if it’s just you – or if the system is rigged – the numbers confirm it: it’s not just you.
According to the UK’s Equality and Human Rights Commission, one in nine mothers – around 54,000 women a year – report being dismissed, made redundant, or treated so badly they’re forced to leave their jobs after having a baby. Pregnant Then Screwed, a campaign group fighting for maternal rights, found that 30% of mothers say they’ve experienced some form of discrimination at work related to pregnancy or maternity leave.
It’s so common it’s almost expected. You don’t hear “Congratulations!” anymore – you hear “Are they treating you okay at work?” You don’t get “Take all the time you need!” – you get “Are you worried about your job?” Because we all know someone who’s been through it. Because we all know it’s real.
Maternity leave makes women inconvenient. Employers don’t like paying for someone who isn’t there. They don’t like the flexible work requests that often follow. They don’t like that you might, just might, have different priorities now.
But Why?
The law should protect women. The UK’s Maternity and Parental Leave Regulations state that employers can’t make women redundant because they’re on maternity leave. In theory, they even have more protection: if a role is being made redundant, women on maternity leave should be offered a suitable alternative before anyone else.
So why does redundancy still hit women on maternity leave hardest? Because employers have become smarter at disguising discrimination.
They use the cover of “department restructuring.” They quietly redistribute responsibilities, then claim a role is no longer needed. They eliminate a position and rehire for the same one with a different title six months later. They hold back on promotions and pay raises, making sure returning mothers know exactly where they stand: sidelined.
And let’s be blunt: maternity leave makes women inconvenient. Employers don’t like paying for someone who isn’t there. They don’t like the flexible work requests that often follow. They don’t like that you might, just might, have different priorities now. And instead of working with that reality, they decide you’re easier to replace.
Oh, The Gaslighting…
Here’s the part that really burns: the way companies make you feel like you’re lucky to be getting anything at all.
When you push back, they tell you it’s not personal.
When you challenge their decision, they sigh, act sympathetic, and insist it’s just business.
They say things like “It’s a really tough time for the company” while hiring new staff. They give you a redundancy package if you don’t fight too hard. They let you think you’re the problem, like you’re asking for special treatment instead of the basic respect and security you’re entitled to.
And if you do challenge them? It’s an uphill battle. Employment tribunals take time and energy—two things new mothers have in very short supply. Most women just don’t have the capacity to fight when they’re already at their most vulnerable.
Change Is Needed
The first step? Employers need to be held accountable – publicly. Women should not have to keep whispering in private Facebook groups about which companies are notorious for maternity discrimination. We need louder conversations. We need more people calling it out. Yes, this is a legal nightmare with the NDAs requiring a signature to get the redundancy package you more than deserve (been there, hated that), but we need to do do what we can to stand up and say – this happened to me.
The law needs to be enforced. The UK government recently extended maternity redundancy protections for 18 months after your baby is born. But even with these laws in place, enforcement is weak and HR and Executive teams can be woefully informed.
If you’re reading this and it’s happened to you, I want you to hear this loud and clear: You didn’t deserve it. It wasn’t your fault. And you are not alone.
Get legal advice; Pregnant Then Screwed offers free support from HR and Legally qualified advisors. Speak to an employment lawyer if you can. If you have the energy, push back. You are protected under the law, even if your employer is pretending you’re not.
And most of all? Talk about it. Tell people what happened. Say it out loud. Because every time we do, we make it harder for companies to keep doing this in silence.
The system wants women to quietly accept their fate. Let’s be loud instead.
Know your rights – make it clear you know your rights. And do everything in your power to ensure your employer delivers on them.
We need to stop normalizing this. This isn’t “just the way it is.” The fact that so many of us have these stories doesn’t mean it’s inevitable. It means we’ve been trained to accept the unacceptable.
