If someone has experienced discrimination at work, they can make a complaint to their employer. The employer should take it seriously and look into it as soon as possible.
Pregnancy and maternity discrimination can be very distressing. It can have a severe impact on someone's mental health and wellbeing. In some cases, it can also affect:
- physical health, including the health of the baby
- career progression
- someone's financial situation
Employers should make sure that anyone who's experienced discrimination feels safe, protected and supported.
If you've experienced discrimination
If you believe you've experienced discrimination at work, you can make a complaint to your employer.
You should make a complaint as soon as possible. However, if you make a complaint a long time after something has happened, your employer should still take it seriously.
Find out what to do if you've been discriminated against
Handling a discrimination complaint
If you're an employer or manager, you should look into any discrimination complaint in a way that's fair and sensitive to:
- the person who made the complaint
- anyone accused of discrimination
You should make sure that:
- everyone in your organisation knows how to report discrimination
- anyone accused of discrimination is treated in an impartial and fair way
Someone making a complaint may be on maternity leave or off sick. You should agree with them how the complaint will be handled. Do not ignore or delay handling a complaint just because someone is not currently working.