Key Takeways:
- Maternity leave layoffs are a real and measurable issue
New data shows that 15% of mothers are dismissed, laid off, or not renewed during pregnancy, leave, or shortly after returning. - Lack of data was a major barrier—until now
Moms at Work conducted their own research after institutions like Statistics Canada lacked sufficient data. - The impact on women is significant
Many mothers face career setbacks—25% miss out on promotions and 21% feel pressured to work during leave, all while often being primary earners. - Advocacy and policy change are the next steps
The goal now is to use this data to push for better EI policies and hold employers accountable for violating maternity leave rights.
In Canada, maternity leave layoffs affect thousands of women—and now, we finally have the data to prove it.
We’ve been on a mission to fix a broken system. Over the past few years, Moms at Work has been working tirelessly to address the flaws in Employment Insurance (EI) for parents. You have voiced what we’ve long known to be true: the system isn’t working.
The Problem at Hand
When we sat around the Employment Insurance Round Table, presenting the glaring issues—that mothers were routinely laid off during pregnancy, maternity leave, or shortly afterward—we were met with the same response, time and time again. “There’s no data to back this up,” they claimed.
They didn’t have the numbers. Neither did Statistics Canada. Nor Human Rights institutions.
But when they blinked, we didn’t falter. We decided to get the numbers ourselves.
The Journey
What followed was almost a year of hard, determined effort. Thanks to Deborah Hudson’s support, we partnered with a Western University professor to design a robust survey.
With the incredible help of The Collective, we gathered over 1,300 responses.
Months of emails, social media shares, meetings, and endless cups of coffee later, we did it. (I even had time to write a feature for Maclean’s!)
Then came the analysis, the report-writing, the advocacy. And now, we have the proof.
The Data on Maternity Leave Layoffs in Canada
The results were (and always will be) heartbreaking. Here's what we uncovered:
- 15% of mothers were dismissed, laid off, or had contracts not renewed during pregnancy, leave, or their return. That’s higher than the UK's 11%.
- 25% were denied promotions.
- 21% were pressured to work while on leave.
- 30% of respondents were the primary earners in their household.
And the reality? When mothers lose their job while on maternity leave, they often don’t qualify for EI unemployment benefits. With a newborn in one hand and mounting costs like daycare, 15% of these women are left scrambling to find work.
The Work Ahead
We’re not stopping here. With this new data, we’re ready to:
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- Share our findings and push hard for updated EI policies that work
- Not let up. We have been doing this for years now, if they think we are going to be deterred they are WRONG
- Keep suing employers who violate maternity leave rights (and winning)
- Offer free legal consultations to mothers in need (thanks to Hudson Sinclair)
The Collective is the Heart of It All
None of this would be possible without The Collective. Your support allows us to fund the staff, researchers, advocacy contractors, and the countless hours of work it takes to make real change.
This work isn’t just for us, it’s for every mother in Canada.
How You Can Help
We’re stronger together. Here’s how you can support the fight for change:
Share the Survey Findings – Help us spread awareness about these stats on social media.
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- Forward this landing page and email! Send it to your HR practitioners, moms groups, anyone who you know who will talk about it.
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- Join the Collective! – Become a part of the movement driving this change forward.
Together, we will fix Employment Insurance. Together, we can make work better. Together, we can protect each other, hire each other
Together, we will change the system.
Thank you for being a part of this. For showing up. For believing in change.
With the deepest gratitude,
Al
FAQ
According to recent survey data, about 15% of mothers experience layoffs, dismissals, or contract non-renewals during pregnancy, leave, or shortly after returning.
Not always. Some mothers may not qualify for EI unemployment benefits as they have already exhausted their benefits during their maternity leave.
Moms at Work is using this data to advocate for stronger EI policies, hold employers accountable for violations, and provide legal support to mothers experiencing workplace discrimination.
