Pregnancy and new parenthood for disabled parents and their partners can pose challenges which can have implications for the workplace, for example around the carrying out of a risk assessment.
Points to consider:
- Disabled women are entitled to all the standard legal rights and protections available to pregnant women and new mothers. It is unlawful for employers to discriminate against disabled people for a reason related to their disability, in all aspects of employment.
- Employers have a duty to consider making ‘reasonable adjustments’ to make sure a disabled person is not put at a substantial disadvantage by employment arrangements or any physical feature of the workplace.
- Employers need to take into account the particular circumstances of disabled women when completing risk assessments.
- Fathers-to-be with disabled partners may need to provide more assistance to their partner during pregnancy and after the birth. They may seek more flexible work arrangements to accommodate this.