Sickness absence

It is against the law (pregnancy discrimination) for an employer to treat a woman unfavourably because of a pregnancy-related illness during the “protected period” (section 18, EA 10). As explained on page 16, for employees, this period starts with the pregnancy and ends at the end of the woman’s statutory maternity leave.

The law also protects agency workers and jobseekers from negative treatment linked to illness during pregnancy. The “protected period” for these women begins with the pregnancy and ends two weeks after the end of the pregnancy.