A woman who suffered a miscarriage says she was told by her boss that “it was the best thing that could happen to her” – before being sacked.
The harrowing story comes as new research shows that one in four women going through fertility treatment say they were subjected to unfair treatment in the workplace.
A study carried out by leading campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed discovered that among the women surveyed, nearly half of those going through fertility treatment had informed their boss.
While around a quarter said they were given no support from their employer, the same proportion said they had suffered actively unfair treatment as a consequence, including physical or emotional harassment, bullying, and being made redundant.
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The researchers, whose findings are being released during infertility awareness week, found that one in five women who told their employer they had gone through a pregnancy loss felt they had been unfairly treated after coming forward. Only six per cent of the partners of women who had suffered a loss felt they had experienced unfair treatment after telling their employer.
Campaigners warned that going through fertility treatment and experiencing the “utter heartbreak” of losing a baby “can be excruciating” for many women, and that the trauma can be worsened by hostile employers.
Marina* told The Independent she was dismissed from her job soon after having a miscarriage at the age of 21.
The now 37-year-old said: “I had a miscarriage, and it was affecting my work, obviously, and I explained to my boss the situation. It was an unplanned pregnancy, but still I wanted the baby. I took some days off work.
“When I returned, one of the female partners of the firm took me into her office. She told me it was the best thing to happen to me, as a baby would have destroyed my career. I was so shocked.
“A few weeks later, I was let go for ‘poor performance’. This was despite me explaining I had lost my baby. I was distracted and I asked for help. It was such a bad time of my life.”
Serena* said she also experienced “huge discrimination” in her job while going through fertility treatment.
“And since I left, they have put an amendment in their contracts saying they will not allow time off – paid or unpaid – for any fertility treatment,” she added.
“I have been told repeatedly that any side effects from fertility treatment are self-inflicted, and I was selfish for having special measures in place as it put more pressure on the rest of the team just so I could have a baby.”
Joeli Brearley, chief executive of Pregnant Then Screwed, said the organisation’s helpline is witnessing a growing volume of calls from “women who experience discrimination in the workplace as a result of reproductive health issues”.
She added: “Going through the unknowns of fertility treatment, or the utter heartbreak of baby loss, can be excruciating for many women. That pain and emotional trauma is compounded by hostile employers who discriminate against women for wanting a baby.”
Ms Brearley noted that women are “incredibly vulnerable at this time, and they need support from their employer, rather than prejudice”, adding that workplaces “should be very aware that this type of behaviour is unlawful and could land them in court if they are not careful”.
She explained that the organisation launched a mental health support line earlier this year, which “blew up”, as she warned that “mothers are struggling”.
“This discriminatory behaviour doesn’t just impact women’s career prospects; the lasting impact on their mental health can be devastating, and costly to both businesses and to staff wellbeing,” added the campaigner, whose organisation is starting a new programme to enable workplaces to better handle reproductive health.
“It’s in the best interests of both employers and employees to get this right. Starting from now. That is why we have launched a new programme of free training for employers –because this really matters.”
*Names changed to protect identities
