Pregnancy is not an illness. It is part of everyday life and its health and safety implications can be adequately addressed by normal health and safety management procedures. Being pregnant or a new mother should not prevent women from working and developing their career.

Whilst there are no legal requirements on employees to inform their employers that they are pregnant or a new mother they should bear in mind that their employer is not required to take any specific action until written notification has been provided. It is therefore important for the employee and her child's health and safety that employers should advise their employees to provide written notification as early as possible. Employers can also ask for a certificate from their employee's GP or midwife stating that she is pregnant.

Maternity leave can be a minefield for bth employees and employers with a number of legal requirements to be met by both parties.

If the new Equality Bill is passed it will be directly discriminatory to treat a woman unfavourably because of her pregnancy, pregnancy-related illness or absence on maternity leave during a "protected period".

Dismissal of a woman because she is undergoing IVF treatment would be regarded as sex discrimination.