Currently employers do not have to pay a penny in maternity pay for women who are pregnant when they start a job, women must be with an employer prior to getting pregnant to be eligible.
I was in this position and so are countless other women.
This amounts to gender discrimination as it often prevents women who are pregnant from taking new career opportunities. This feels like a financial penalisation for women because they are pregnant.
Statistics show women face the most discrimination in the workplace once they become mothers.
So I wanted to do something to change this so I started a petition to call on the Women's minister to force employers to pay women maternity pay regardless of when they start working for them.
Can you help?
As I am struggling to get many signatures from my non parent friends and colleagues and getting them to forward it onwards.
secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Minister_for_Women_and_Equalities_Nicky_Morgan_Call_on_Morgan_to_end_maternity_pay_inequality/?preview=live
Please sign and share with your friends and family.
Thank you.
Clare (mum to Iliya 10 months old).