Small business baulks at burden of pregnancy discrimination

Now we are know this Small business baulks at burden of pregnancy discrimination


ELEANOR HALL: In what seems to be an extraordinary move, small business owners say they should be exempted from laws that prohibit discrimination against pregnant women.

The business owners are responding to the Fair Work Ombudsman's move to pursue pregnancy discrimination claims on behalf of women. It has just lodged its first pregnancy discrimination case in the Federal Court.

And while it has been illegal for a quarter of a century to discriminate against pregnant workers, the ombudsman is tipping that there'll be a surge in claims now that women don't have to take the cases on their own.

But small business owners say this sort of regime imposes an impossible burden them, as Ashley Hall reports.

ASHLEY HALL: The issue of workplace discrimination can take a terrible toll.

This woman asked to be known only as Jane, and for her voice to de disguised before she would talk about her experience.

Jane was working in a male-dominated sector of the media industry when she became pregnant.

She had no problems throughout the pregnancy herself, but then she approached her workplace about returning after 11 months of maternity leave.

JANE: The moment I started emailing people about organising coming back to work, I did not get any response from anybody at work except for HR.

Coppied by ABC