• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Current price of oil as of July 13, 2026

2

Summer camps remain a battleground over what it means to be American

3

The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents

1

Current price of oil as of July 13, 2026

2

Summer camps remain a battleground over what it means to be American

3

The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents
MPW

UK women are telling their workplace discrimination stories on “Pregnant Then Screwed”

Kristen Bellstrom
By
Kristen Bellstrom
Kristen Bellstrom
Down Arrow Button Icon
Kristen Bellstrom
By
Kristen Bellstrom
Kristen Bellstrom
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 27, 2015, 1:04 PM ET
169270956
Pregnant businesswoman working in officePhotograph by Robert Daly — Getty Images/Caiaimage
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Envious of the up to 52 weeks of maternity leave granted to moms in the UK? Well, not everything across the pond is quite as peachy as it might appear.

A new report from the Equality and Human Rights Commission finds that roughly 54,000 women in Britain are forced out of a job after having a child. That appalling stat has brought fresh attention to “Pregnant Then Screwed,” a UK site where women can post about their workplace nightmares. Joeli Brearley announced the launch of the site this spring, inspired by her own experience.

Writing in the Guardian, Brearley says that she was working as a self-employed project manager when she learned she was pregnant. She realized she would need to leave her current project earlier than she’d originally expected, so she “planned everything meticulously to ensure that my clients and projects would be well looked-after in my absence.” Still, Brearley says her client contacted her to say that they were concerned about how her departure would affect the organization, then—without further communication—fired her.

Since the launch, the “Pregnant Then Screwed” has quickly filled with horrific stories. Here’s just a sampling of the headlines from recent posts:

“They said that the woman who was covering maternity leave had better skills to take the company forward and they were dismissing me.”

“When I told my employer, she asked me if I had considered an abortion.”

“I was told there was no guarantee there would be a job for me when I came back from maternity leave.”

Brearley has said that the site is intended to allow women to “tell their stories anonymously and in their own words.” It also challenges a UK rule that specifies that anyone who experiences workplace discrimination has just three months to take their case to an Employment Tribunal. As the site description puts it: “For maternity discrimination, those 3 months usually come at a time when you are exhausted, lacking in confidence and knee-deep in baby poo. Making your lunch every day can feel like climbing Mount Everest; masterminding an Employment Tribunal would feel nigh-on impossible.”

Such rules may be specific to the UK, but workplace discrimination against pregnant women is a global phenomenon, unfortunately. Here in the U.S., pregnancy discrimination charges are on the rise. In fiscal year 1997, more than 3,900 charges were filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and state and local Fair Employment Practices agencies. By fiscal year 2013, that number hit 5,342. (The EEOC has not yet responded to requests for more recent statistics.)

Certainly, there have been some positive developments, as when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of former UPS truck driver Peggy Young this March. Young was seeking the right to sue UPS for pregnancy discrimination after the shipping company refused to give her a less demanding shift when a medical professional ordered her to not lift heavy items while pregnant. Hopefully, that judgement will remind employers of their obligations—and encourage more pregnant women to stand up for their rights.

That said, it’s important that this issue also be tried in the court of public opinion. Reading women’s first-person accounts of how they’ve been mistreated is incredibly moving. Sharing these stories can help remind all of us that pregnancy discrimination remains a big and important problem in this country. Perhaps it’s time for “Pregnant Then Screwed—U.S. edition?”

About the Author
Kristen Bellstrom
By Kristen Bellstrom
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in MPW

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in MPW

e
Arts & EntertainmentSocial Media
American influencers turn Erling Haaland into the World Cup’s breakout brand
By Kaitlyn Huamani and The Associated PressJuly 13, 2026
1 day ago
Taylor Swift paid New York City more than $160,000 to cover the costs tied to her wedding, Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed
Arts & EntertainmentTaylor Swift
Taylor Swift paid New York City more than $160,000 to cover the costs tied to her wedding, Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed
By The Associated Press, Catherina Gioino, Andrew Dalton and Kimberlee KruesiJuly 10, 2026
4 days ago
Around 2.6 million fewer Americans have affordable healthcare access plan as affordability becomes top issue ahead of midterms
North AmericaAmerican Politics
Around 2.6 million fewer Americans have affordable healthcare access plan as affordability becomes top issue ahead of midterms
By The Associated Press and Ali SwensonJuly 7, 2026
7 days ago
bernie
PoliticsBook Excerpt
Bernie Sanders told me exactly why he had to run. The Democratic Party still isn’t listening
By Tad DevineJuly 7, 2026
7 days ago
Indra Nooyi sitting in a chair behind a red background.
SuccessCareers
Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it
By Preston ForeJuly 6, 2026
8 days ago
p
PoliticsPope
Pope Leo marks July 4 at migrant graves, not U.S. celebrations
By Nicole Winfield, Andrea Rosa and The Associated PressJuly 4, 2026
10 days ago

Most Popular

Current price of oil as of July 13, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 13, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 13, 2026
1 day ago
Summer camps remain a battleground over what it means to be American
North America
Summer camps remain a battleground over what it means to be American
By Seth T. Kannarr, Derek H. Alderman and The ConversationJuly 13, 2026
24 hours ago
The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents
Innovation
The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 12, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, July 13, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, July 13, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 13, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of gold as of July 13, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of July 13, 2026
By Danny BakstJuly 13, 2026
1 day ago
Exclusive: Corner Health raises $25 million to turn nurse practitioners into entrepreneurs
Newsletters
Exclusive: Corner Health raises $25 million to turn nurse practitioners into entrepreneurs
By Emma HinchliffeJuly 13, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.