Small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) lack sufficient knowledge on the management of staff undergoing pregnancy, according to the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC).
EOC spokesperson Rosamund Taylor cited research by the commission revealing that many firms were unaware of procedures regarding maternity pay and lacked sufficient resources and experience in dealing with expectant staff.
Over 200,000 pregnant women in Britain each year face dismissal or disadvantageous treatment at work, according to EOC figures.
An online survey of mothers undertaken by the commission in March 2007 found that four in ten believed their bosses fully understood how to manage pregnant staff, Ms Taylor said.
With smaller businesses encountering one pregnancy per ten years on average, she added that firms often lacked sufficient human resources facilities and had "little or no experience of dealing with expectant staff".
"Some firms were unaware that they could claim reimbursement for statutory maternity pay and understood the need to assess health and safety risks," Ms Taylor added.
Figures from the EOC's final report - before it is absorbed into the Commission for Equality and Human Rights next month - indicate that part-time women workers earn 38 per cent less than men.
