Pregnant women face workplace hostility and ‘sham redundancies’, Australian human rights report finds

Sex discrimination commissioner says too often ‘it’s the woman who has the burden of bringing a complaint’ in parental discrimination cases

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Women are being forced out of employment through “sham redundancies”, losing shifts and facing hostile work environments after having a baby, according to a report by the Australian Human Rights Commission, which warns parental discrimination remains a major barrier to gender equality.

The commission’s report suggests pregnancy discrimination is more prominent for vulnerable groups, including immigrant and First Nations women, people with disability and LGBTQ+ people. The commission held roundtables with dozens of parents, legal and community advocates when compiling the report.

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