Nearly one in three bosses wouldn’t hire a woman in case they become pregnant soon, research reveals

New research has revealed that almost one in three UK bosses wouldn’t hire a female applicant in case they become pregnant soon.

Nearly one in three UK bosses admit they have or would reject a female job applicant because they suspect she “might start a family soon”. Even more shockingly, 15 per cent anonymously admitted that they had broken sex discrimination laws.

The new research, carried out by law firm Slater and Gordon, also revealed that one in four of 501 bosses has rejected or would reject a woman, simply because she was a single parent.

A further 29 per cent said they have discounted or would discount a woman for a job role because she had young children and 28 per cent said they have or would because she was recently engaged or married.

Shockingly 37 per cent of bosses admitted they would advertise positions for men only if the law allowed, with 40 per cent saying they perceived men as being more committed to their jobs.

More than a third of senior decision makers said they would rather hire a man to get around the issue of offering maternity leave.

Remziye Ozcan, employment lawyer at Slater and Gordon, said:

A huge shift in attitudes still needs to take place before women feel they are not penalised for wanting both a career and children.

Men are never asked to choose between the two.

This discrimination also affects women generally, those who don’t plan to have children or already have children as it is about attitudes and stereotypes applied to women generally.

If you think you could be at risk of discrimination, Slater and Gordon recommend speaking to a legal expert to understand your rights. Write down all incidents and remember that you must bring all legal action within three months.

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