Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to issue guidance to (a) businesses and (b) employers on the (i) support they are required to provide to pregnant employees and (ii) the furloughing of pregnant employees who are unable to work safely or work from home during the covid-19 outbreak.

It is against the law to discriminate against anyone because of being pregnant. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 continue to apply, and guidance can be found here: https://www.hse.gov.uk/mothers/law.htm.

An employee can be furloughed if they are pregnant, including if they are following shielding measures in line with public health guidance. When furloughing pregnant employees, the normal rules for maternity and other forms of parental leave and pay apply. Employers can claim through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) for enhanced (earnings related) contractual pay for employees who qualify for maternity pay.

All employers are eligible to claim under the scheme and the Government recognises different businesses will face different impacts from coronavirus. Guidance on the scheme is available for employers at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-job-retention-scheme-step-by-step-guide-for-employers, and for employees at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-you-could-be-covered-by-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme.