Professional Registration whilst on Maternity Leave

[MrsFionaCharming]

(I won’t be naming the specific register to try to avoid outing myself)

My professional registration renews this month. It’s approximately £300 a year. Currently I’m on maternity leave and money is tight, so I’d rather not pay for something I’m not using but it’s very difficult to de-register and re-register.

I contacted them and they confirmed that they don’t offer a discount during maternity leaves. I’ve seen that other organisations such at the NMC do offer this discount.

This feels like an issue that disproportionately affects women, forcing us to pay for a service we’re not using, at a time when we have significantly reduced income.

Does anyone know if anything like this has been argued in court before?

(To make me more annoyed by this, the organisation covers multiple professions, and for one of them they do offer a discount!)

Not sure of the legality, but I have a similar registration and although when on mat leave I didn't use it directly with work I did have to continue CPD so I suppose the "benefit" can still be there.

This might be the kind of thing that Pregnant and Screwed would get behind. It does seem discriminatory against women.

Unfortunately I don't think any change will come quick enough and you'll probably need to pay this year.

The Architects Registration Board refused a discount when I had mine
They also threatened to cut me off if I didn’t do the CPDs

So I turned up with twins in toe and breastfeeding
The disruption I will freely admit was a delight. Only to me though

When I turned up at a Gentlemen’s only club for a CPD they wouldn’t let me in. So I sat on the doorstep with my boys ( 3 of them as the other one was on school hols)
They still didn’t let me in though
Completely sexist !!

I lost my registration on the second pregnancy and was told I’d have to do all the exams again. My office was supposed to pay on that occasion
That’s a lot of exams !!
So I turned up with the boys for them too! and the office ended up having to pay for the exams or they would lose their RIBA status if I wasn’t registered.

Such a crap situation for women
No idea if the ARB have improved since then. This was the early 2000s

Thank you for posting, it reminded me that I hadn’t got round to paying and was about to miss the deadline!

I don’t have the time or energy to fight it at the moment, and it looks like it’s fairly standard to have to pay the full amount.

But you are on leave being paid maternity pay, for the job that needs you to be registered.
I don’t think you could be on payroll in the NHS without professional PIN and being on the register.

I’m sorry but i don’t think you have a leg to stand on.

They probably assume that (incorrectly it seems) your employer will pay for your registration, or that, being a professional, your maternity pay isn't significantly lower than your normal salary (for 6 to 9 months off at least).

If you do pay your own fees and you don't get enhanced maternity pay, is there a discount for 'unwaged' or retired that you could argue for? My professional society offers 50% off if you're retired, so you could claim to be retired and then next year, back at work with full membership again.

But they could argue that you are still benefitting from membership, eg careers service, online CPD, indemnity insurance.

If you don't agree with their rules, you could always join whichever committee covers membership fees and lobby for change. Or ask your employer if you have one to pay for your registration etc.