South Yorkshire MP’s bill to protect parent’s rights at work reaches final stages as 54,000 women a year lose their job because they’re pregnant

A bill to protect parents from redundancy during or after pregnancy, or after shared parental leave, is onto the next stage of becoming law.

Proposed by Barnsley central MP Dan Jarvis, the bill would extend redundancy protections to the period of pregnancy, adoption and shared parental leave, and for a period after a new parent returns to work.

The protection from redundancy (pregnancy and family leave) bill was examined by Parliament yesterday and debated by MPs.

The bill was passed unanimously and is on to its next stage to becoming law – it faces a third reading in February.

During the debate, Mr Jarvis told Parliament: “Finding our you’re pregnant, becoming a parent, having a baby or adopting a child is supposed to be one of the happiest times in your life.

“But for many new parents, the newborn baby bubble is burst by the news they are being laid off.

“54,000 women a year lose their job simply because they’re pregnant. It is simply a scandal.

“People are facing a cost-of-living crisis, wages are shrinking and childcare costs are soaring.

“These protections will also apply to shared parental and adoption leave, and a period after a new parent returns to work.

“This means a statutory duty will be placed on employers to prioritise pregnant women and new parents in a redundancy situation by offering them a suitable alternative vacancy if their job becomes at risk.”