Tonight, Four Corners investigates why pregnancy and motherhood can still cost Australian women their jobs, decades after discrimination laws were introduced.
Reporter Avani Dias speaks to women who say they experienced pregnancy discrimination, as Four Corners examines the tactics used by employers and barriers to seeking justice, drawing on accounts from more than 100 women.
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Being pregnant or a mother can still cost women their jobs, decades after the Sex Discrimination Act started. From the factory floor to the executive suite, pregnancy discrimination remains part of workplace culture in Australia.
One of the organisations that tracks the issue across three states says calls have increased significantly in the last two years, with 600 complaints about pregnancy discrimination in the last financial year alone.
Experts say many women don’t pursue a legal claim and those who do must navigate a complex and expensive system, often with lengthy delays. Some are now calling for change, including a legislative overhaul to address systemic issues that prejudice women during this significant time in their lives and careers.
Four Corners’ reporter Avani Dias has spoken to women who say they’ve been fired, demoted, discriminated against, or offered sham redundancies when they were pregnant or returning to work after the birth of a child.
More than 100 women told Four Corners they experienced pregnancy discrimination and, after analysing the data, the program reveals the tactics used by employers against working mothers and pregnant women in the workplace.
