The Bill, put forward by Conservative MP Maria Miller, aims to strengthen protections for new and expecting mothers, by legislating that pregnant women, those on maternity leave and those within six months of childbirth cannot be made redundant.

The Bill is timely against the backdrop of Covid-19, which has had a disproportionate impact on women in the workplace. Consultancy firm PwC reported in May that 78% of people that had lost their jobs already due to the pandemic were women.

Aims to strengthen protections for new and expecting mothers, by legislating that pregnant women, those on maternity leave and those within six months of childbirth cannot be made redundant.

Further, a study conducted in 2019 by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy estimated that 54,000 women lose their role at work each year because of pregnancy or maternity.

The Bill has received cross-party backing as well as support from the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the Royal Colleague of Midwives and multiple trade unions such as Usdaw and Unison.

Read the full Bill here

The second reading of the Bill is scheduled to take place on 16 October 2020.