9. Protection for Employees who are Pregnant or returning from Maternity, Adoption or Shared Parental leave

You cannot make an employee redundant, if the reason for the redundancy is connected with their pregnancy or their maternity, paternity, adoption, carers, parental or shared parental leave as this would count as automatic unfair dismissal and discrimination. However if you have a genuine redundancy situation and there is no suitable alternative work available for them, then you could lawfully make the individual redundant providing that you have followed the correct redundancy procedures. It is also worth noting that employees may still qualify to receive statutory payments (e.g. maternity pay) even if they are made redundant. Before you can make employees who are pregnant or returning from maternity, adoption or shared parental redundant, redundancy protection regulations require an employer to give that employee first refusal...

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Information regarding protection for employees who are pregnant or returning from maternity, adoption or Shared parental leave.

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