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According to the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, many bosses are having second thoughts about employing women or considering them for promotion because of their entitlement to one year's leave after pregnancy.
Nicola Brewer, chief executive of the commission, told the Times that calls to a helpline for those who lose their jobs after becoming pregnant suggested the problem affected many women.
Sir Alan Sugar also recently claimed that many employers discard the CVs of women of childbearing age, reports Ndtv.com.
Katherine Rake, director of the Fawcett Society which campaigns for gender equality, commented: "The government should both better protect pregnant workers and introduce paid parental leave that supports mums and dads to share care."
According to the Fawcett Society, 96 per cent of executive directors in the UK's top 100 companies are male, while women working full-time are paid an average of 17 per cent less per hour than their male counterparts.
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