The Government has recently launched a consultation on the proposed reforms under the Employment Rights Bill to enhance dismissal protections for pregnant women and new mothers which runs until 15 January 2026.

Background

While legal protections against dismissal related to pregnancy and maternity already exist including enhanced redundancy protections, the Government considers that further legislation is needed to tackle the unfair treatment that persists.

The Employment Rights Bill proposes to strengthen protections for pregnant women and new mothers returning to work including protection from dismissal whilst pregnant, on maternity leave and within six months of returning to work. The Government is now seeking views on how those protections will work in practice.

The consultation is seeking views on:

• The specific circumstances in which dismissals of pregnant women or new mothers should be allowed.
• When protection should start and end.
• Whether protection should also cover parents who take other types of extended family leave e.g. adoption, neonatal care or shared parental leave.

What does it mean for employers?

Depending on the outcome of the consultation, employers can expect to face greater operational challenges in managing the workplace, alongside stricter limitations on their ability to dismiss pregnant women and new mothers. There is likely to be much closer scrutiny of the reasons for dismissal and employers may be required to make broader efforts to identify...

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