One in two.

That's how many Australian mothers experience pregnancy-related discrimination, whether during their pregnancy, while they're on parental leave or after returning to work, according to the Australian Human Rights Commission.

Four women — aged from their 20s to their 40s — from different parts of Australia have shared their stories of discrimination with ABC Life. We've agreed not to name them in order to protect their privacy.

'She stormed into my office shaking with rage' — Arienne, Sydney

One woman was told her pregnancy was going to "lose clients" and money. Her director chided her and passed her work to colleagues. ( Pexels )

When I revealed my pregnancy at work, I was immediately asked by almost everyone in the company if it was planned or accidental. I had to defend myself, reassuring them that it was an unplanned accidental pregnancy.

As I was ill in the early months, I had to reveal the situation to my boss because I wasn't able to attend a work event.

She told me I was not to inform anyone that I was pregnant until she was ready to let clients know.

I got to four months, and she still hadn't given me the OK to discuss my pregnancy with anyone at work. But one day another colleague told me she was pregnant, so I told her I was too.

Our conversation was overheard. Soon after that, my director stormed into my office and slammed the door. She was shaking with rage, her jaw clenched, and said, "How dare you reveal that you're pregnant after everything I've done for you — the confidence I've kept for you? How dare you do this behind my back?"

She said, "Your pregnancy is going to lose us money. We're going to lose clients because of you. We've never had a person in your position be pregnant."

From then on, she took work away from me, because she said I wasn't going to be there the next year. My projects were given to people with less experience.

I also got really huge in my pregnancy. When some people at work saw me eating, they would comment on what I was eating or how much I was eating.

It got to the point where my director was going to buy some food, and I said, "I'd love some!" And she said, "I think your baby has eaten enough."

She and other directors kept asking me for how long I would take maternity leave. They'd mention women elsewhere in the company who'd only taken a few months. And I said, "I have a right to 12 months and I'd like to take 12 months."

Pregnancy discrimination in Australia Young mothers (aged 18-24), single mothers and mums with disabilities are more likely to experience discrimination during pregnancy than older, coupled-up mums and mums without disability

Young mothers (aged 18-24), single mothers and mums with disabilities are more likely to experience discrimination during pregnancy than older, coupled-up mums and mums without disability 91 per cent of mothers who experience discrimination do not make a formal complaint — for reasons including emotional exhaustion and a fear of reputational damage

91 per cent of mothers who experience discrimination do not make a formal complaint — for reasons including emotional exhaustion and a fear of reputational damage One in two (49 per cent) Australian mothers having experienced pregnancy-related discrimination at work at some point during pregnancy, parental leave or on return to work Source: Australian Human Rights Commission

When I finally went on maternity leave nobody did my job while I was away. There was no maternity cover replacement.

About two months before I was due back at work, I had a meeting with my director and she said business had been very bad.

So I asked her directly, "Can you please be honest with me? Because I don't want to turn my life around, put my child in child care and then find out weeks later that there's no position for me."

She said, "You're right, there is no job for you when you come back.

"The whole company is restructuring, and if we were to process your redundancy now, you can't talk to anyone about it."

I said, "I'd rather have the redundancy now, so I can move on with my life."

What I didn't know when accepting the redundancy package is that they made two other maternity leavers redundant at the same time.

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'I wasn't given bereavement leave or sick leave … even for my child's funeral' — Rita, Sydney

I'd been working for a big bank for several years when I fell pregnant.

At the time, I was single and up for a promotion.

By 15 weeks I was quite big and had to tell my boss about the pregnancy. Three days later, I was told I didn't get the promotion.

Being put under pressure at work after pregnancy loss could be workplace discrimination. ( Pexels )

Five weeks after that, I went into labour. My son was born very premature, and he died. I messaged my boss and she told me to take a week or two off.

I went back to work and was quite distraught. I applied for leave, and she told me to take annual leave for the time I was away.

All their policies allowed for bereavement leave, but it didn't occur to my manager that I had bereavement leave, even on the day I had my child's funeral.

I sought medical, psychological and legal advice. And when I finally organised to meet with HR and my manager, she suggested that perhaps I would never be well enough to come back to work, and maybe I shouldn't.

My sense was she had clearly decided that she didn't want me back, even though I was someone she'd been looking to promote several months earlier.

Eventually I left that department after a meeting with HR, where I turned up with the biggest pile of paper as I'd documented everything. I told them, someone's got to move me.

My manager moved me within 24 hours, so I never had to work for her again. I was shifted to another area of the business on a secondment.

Later the company was restructured and I was ultimately made redundant.

My manager has since progressed, and she is now one of the highest people in that company.

'I was told going casual would be easier. Then they stopped giving me shifts' — Emmaline, Perth

I'd been working part-time at a large international retailer for five or six months when I found out I was pregnant. I was almost 25 at the time.

It was a high-risk pregnancy. I have polycystic ovarian syndrome, and there was a risk the cysts could burst. I did have a lot of appointments.

One day I was called into my manager's office, and both my department manager and my store manager were there.

It's against the law for workplaces to force a change to your role in response to pregnancy. ( Unsplash )

They said, "You've been taking a lot of sick days, and you've used up all your sick leave and you've yet to actually do a full week of all your shifts. It'd be easier to have you as a casual worker — for you and for us."

They sweet talked it like crazy.

I said, "I don't want to lose my shifts. Will I still get my three shifts a week?" They said, "Yeah, yeah. "

So I signed the document to become a casual worker instead of part-time. They had the papers there, all ready.

I completely felt pressured. It felt like I had no choice but to do it.

I had one more week of work after that, and that was it. It was the politest way of being fired.

I went away on my unpaid maternity leave, and tried to come back for the Christmas rush. They said, "You've been away for more than three months, there's no shifts for you."

It was completely dog what they did.

I ended up ringing the union and the woman there said because I'd signed the new contract, there was nothing to be done.

I've had jobs since then, but nothing's ever been permanent or reliable.

'They withdrew the offer because I was pregnant' — Jillian, Melbourne

I applied for a role with a women's health organisation. At the time I had the first interview, I didn't know I was pregnant; I found out just afterwards.

Then they rang me and offered a second interview with the manager.

But the night before that second interview, I experienced pain and went to emergency with a suspected miscarriage, which was really terrifying. I spent the night in hospital, and they couldn't find a heartbeat.

It seemed that I hadn't miscarried but it was undetermined, so I was told to come back and have another scan.

I rang to postpone my interview for a couple of days, because my second interview was meant to be the next day.

After the interview with the manager, it was confirmed that my baby was OK. My pregnancy was confirmed. I was extremely relieved.

That's when the organisation called and offered me the job.

I thanked them and I told the woman on the phone I wanted to be transparent and that I had literally just found out I was pregnant and it was very early days. I was about six weeks.

The job I'd applied for it was all about discussing women's health and being open and supportive, so I wanted to enter the role feeling like there was a good level of communication between me and my potential employer. I felt I was doing the right thing.

Sacked during maternity leave? You may be able to make claims including: A general protections claim under the Fair Work Act

A general protections claim under the Fair Work Act A claim of unfair dismissal under the Fair Work Act

A claim of unfair dismissal under the Fair Work Act A discrimination claim under the Sex Discrimination Act or Equal Opportunity Act (or your state or territory's equivalent) Source: Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission



The woman on the other end of the phone ended the phone call abruptly and didn't give me a chance to accept or decline the offer. I was left wondering for about a week what was happening.

Eventually she called and said they had decided to withdraw the offer because I was pregnant.

It was a bit of shock.

I told her I was disappointed because I had decided to take the job. I said it was really early days, I wasn't even sure if it was possible for me to get pregnant originally. I was 39 at the time.

She said to me that I should call them back if my circumstances changed — basically, if I miscarried.

When I asked why they were withdrawing because I was pregnant, she said it was a challenging role, and by the time I got up to speed I'd be going on maternity leave.

Interviews have been edited for brevity.