Under section 18 of the Equality Act 2010 a women can seek protection from suffering less favourable treatment than her colleagues. The protection will cover the individual from being harassed, passed over for promotion, disciplined or dismissed on grounds that are wholly or partly related to pregnancy.
If you are dismissed while you are pregnant or during maternity leave, your employer must give you a written statement of the reasons for the dismissal. If you are unhappy with these reasons and you want to make a claim against your employer, or if you think you have experienced unfavourable treatment because of pregnancy or maternity, get advice immediately from your union or a specialist adviser.
You may also have a claim for compensation for sex discrimination: under section 11of the Equality Act 2010 women are likely to have a good claim in many cases of less favourable treatment because of pregnancy or maternity.
In all of these circumstances you should get advice. You should contact your trade union representatives or specialist adviser. You should do this sooner rather than later as there are strict time limits involved in bringing cases.
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