Discrimination against pregnant workers or those on parental leave is on the rise – complaints about that issue and redundancy have increased by 15 per cent in the past year.
Employment rights community legal centre JobWatch, which operates in Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania, recorded 95 parental and pregnancy discrimination complaints in 2022, 110 in 2023 and 42 in the first four months of this year. Most related to redundancy and parental leave.JobWatch CEO Zana Bytheway said the rise was concerning, yet the issue was longstanding.
The Australian Human Rights Commission has also noted an increase in the number of complaints alleging pregnancy discrimination. He said redundancy claims had increased in the past several months, but the current strong job market meant cases rarely appeared in employment figures or the courts.“I feel like I miss opportunities because I’m ‘just a Mum’, only work four days a week or might get pregnant again.”For the first time, Jewell said, he had noted an increase in claims from secondary carers or fathers on paternity leave.