The Equal Opportunities Commission warned that many pregnant women face discrimination and, in some extreme cases, unemployment unless the Government takes action.

The EOC criticised the Government for failing to provide necessary support to families and employers as well as improve awareness over the issue of pregnancy discrimination in the work place.

Entitled ‘Tip of the Iceberg’, the report investigates discrimination against pregnant women at work and proposes a number of measures designed to promote equal opportunity.

Published to mark the start of National Pregnancy Week, the study also reviews how responsibilities, costs of pregnancy and benefits are shared among employers, the state and individual mothers.

Julie Mellor, Chair of the EOC , said, “Every year around a thousand women in the England and Wales go so far as to take legal action claiming they were sacked because they were pregnant, and that is likely to be just the tip of the iceberg.

“Others face pay cuts, demotion, hostile treatments or are made to work in an unsafe environment. The impact on these women’s lives and on the health of their baby can be disastrous.”

Proposals for change are geared towards a better understanding of employment law and calls for more support from the Government.

These include a statement outlining rights and responsibilities, extensions to the three-month time limit for filing a pregnancy related employment tribunal claim and better childcare and parental leave to reduce the difficulties of returning to work.

Mellor said, “It’s not just families that benefit when pregnancy at work is managed successfully – it’s in everyone’s interests. Most families now rely on two incomes.

“Women make up nearly half of the workforce and make a major contribution to the success of individual businesses and the economy. We cannot afford to lose their skills and experience.”

With 350,000 UK working women becoming pregnant each year, the effects on productivity within small businesses can be disastrous. However the EOC argues that with the right Government legislation, such discrimination can be avoided.

Solutions suggested by the EOC includes extra financial support to spread the cost of pregnancy and free mediation services to help employers and employees resolve disputes.

However, with more than a third of employers believing pregnancy poses undue cost burdens on their business, such proposals may be a lot harder to implement into the workplace.