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Real compensation ranges for pregnancy and maternity discrimination in UK tribunals. Vento bands, worked examples, Regulation 10 protection, and the uncapped Equality Act route.

How much compensation can I get for pregnancy or maternity discrimination?

Pregnancy and maternity discrimination awards in the UK are uncapped. Typical settled or awarded amounts range from around £10,000 for a single act of unfavourable treatment to well over £100,000 where the claimant was dismissed and struggled to return to comparable work. The median reported award is higher than straightforward unfair dismissal because it combines injury to feelings, lost maternity pay, lost earnings, and frequently aggravated damages.

Is pregnancy discrimination automatically unfair dismissal?

Yes. Dismissal because of pregnancy, maternity leave, or a reason connected to it is automatically unfair under s99 Employment Rights Act 1996 — you do not need two years' service to claim. The same dismissal is also pregnancy discrimination under s18 Equality Act 2010, which is uncapped. In practice most claimants bring both claims together, because the Equality Act side removes the statutory cap on financial loss.

What is the "protected period" for pregnancy discrimination?

The protected period runs from the start of pregnancy to the end of maternity leave (or two weeks after return if you are not entitled to statutory maternity leave). During this period, any unfavourable treatment because of pregnancy, pregnancy-related illness, or the fact of taking maternity leave is direct discrimination and does not require a comparator. This is a significantly stronger legal position than most other discrimination claims.

Can I claim if I was made redundant during maternity leave?

Yes. Employees on maternity leave are entitled under Regulation 10 of MAPLE 1999 to be offered any suitable alternative vacancy in a redundancy situation — a "first refusal" right that goes beyond the normal redundancy rules. Failure to offer a suitable alternative vacancy is automatically unfair and pregnancy discrimination. From April 2024 this protection was extended to pregnant employees and those who have recently returned from maternity leave.

What counts as pregnancy discrimination?

Common examples from successful tribunal claims: demotion after announcing pregnancy, removal from a project on "safety" grounds without consulting you, negative performance reviews triggered by pregnancy-related absence, not being considered for promotion on return, reduced hours without consent, being excluded from meetings, pressure to resign, and hostile treatment by colleagues that management failed to address.

Do I have to return to work to bring a claim?

No. You can bring a claim while still on maternity leave, after returning, or instead of returning. If the discrimination means a reasonable person would not return, you can resign and claim constructive dismissal alongside pregnancy discrimination. Time limits run from the date of the discriminatory act (usually three months plus ACAS early conciliation), not from the end of maternity leave, so do not wait.

How long do I have to bring a pregnancy discrimination claim?

Three months minus one day from the last act of discrimination, extended by the period of ACAS early conciliation. Where the discrimination was a series of connected acts rather than a one-off, time runs from the last in the series. If you miss the deadline the tribunal can still extend time on a "just and equitable" basis in discrimination cases, but this is discretionary and not guaranteed.

No qualifying service period

No statutory ceiling on compensation

Within the protected period

A pregnancy discrimination claim typically combines injury to feelings under the Vento bands with past and future loss of earnings, loss of maternity pay where applicable, aggravated damages where the employer acted in bad faith, and an ACAS uplift. The combination is usually worth more than a pure unfair dismissal claim because the Equality Act route removes the statutory cap.

Pregnancy discrimination is one of the most successful claim types at tribunal — the legal framework is strong, the protected period is clear, and the evidence is often unambiguous (timeline of pregnancy announcement vs. adverse treatment). The biggest variable is whether the discrimination ended your career in that employer, in which case future loss dominates the calculation.

Single act of unfavourable treatment quickly reversed, a thoughtless comment addressed promptly, minor change to duties that was corrected.

Demotion or sidelining following pregnancy announcement, failure to consult in redundancy, loss of project work, pressured or forced resignation.

Dismissal during pregnancy or maternity leave, deliberate failure to offer a suitable alternative vacancy, sustained hostile treatment across the whole protected period.

Particularly egregious conduct — dismissal shortly after announcing a miscarriage, bullying that caused psychiatric injury, senior management orchestrating the process.

Regulation 10 of the Maternity and Parental Leave etc. Regulations 1999 gives employees on maternity leave a priority right to any suitable alternative vacancy in a redundancy situation. If a suitable role exists anywhere in the employer or an associated employer, the employee on maternity leave must be offered it without having to apply or compete. Failure to comply is automatically unfair dismissal and pregnancy discrimination.

From April 2024 the Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act 2023 extended this priority right: it now also applies during pregnancy and for a period after return from maternity leave (typically 18 months from the expected week of childbirth). This is a significant strengthening of protection and has immediately been reflected in new tribunal claims.

In practice, if a business restructures and offers roles to other affected employees on a competitive basis while leaving the pregnant or maternity-leave employee to compete on equal terms, the employer has already breached the regulation. The correct sequence is: identify suitable alternatives, offer them to the protected employee first, then run the normal redundancy process for everyone else.

Injury to feelings (Vento)

Compensation for the distress, anxiety and loss of dignity. Pregnancy and maternity cases often sit in the middle or upper band because of the timing — a pregnant claimant treated unfavourably is experiencing it at a particularly vulnerable moment.

Past loss of earnings

Lost wages from the effective date of termination to the remedy hearing, offset by any replacement income. In pregnancy cases this often includes the difference between what you actually received on maternity leave and what you would have received but for the discrimination.

Future loss of earnings

Earnings shortfall going forward. Tribunals recognise that re-entering the job market on return from maternity leave is harder, and future loss projections of six to eighteen months are routine. Longer projections apply where the discrimination caused lasting harm.

Lost maternity pay and benefits

Where the employer offered enhanced maternity pay, any shortfall you suffered because of the discrimination is recoverable. This can include lost bonus accrual while on maternity leave, and pension contributions that should have continued.

Personal injury damages

Where the discrimination caused or materially worsened a psychiatric condition such as post-natal depression or an anxiety disorder, personal injury damages are awarded on top of the Vento band, following the Judicial College Guidelines.

Where the employer's conduct was high-handed or oppressive — for example running a sham grievance process, fabricating performance issues, or refusing to accept the timing of events.

Up to 25% uplift on compensatory elements where the employer unreasonably failed to follow the ACAS Code on grievances or disciplinary procedures. Applies frequently in pregnancy cases where grievances about maternity treatment are dismissed without investigation.

Pregnancy and maternity — full guide

Maternity leave rights

How much for disability discrimination

How much for sexual harassment

Constructive dismissal

Building a schedule of loss