A survey commissioned by law firm Slater and Gordon found that thousands of working mums are cutting short their maternity leave over fears that taking more time off will jeopardise their job. The survey of 2,000 working mothers found that just 12% take the full year allowed by law. Concerns about being side-lined, edged out or pressure from their boss lead many to return to work early, with 18% going back within four months of giving birth. 30% of mothers felt their managers wouldn’t have supported them taking more time off and 11% say fear it could damage their career was the main reason for their decision. 42% said attitudes changed as soon as they announced they were pregnant, with 10% experiencing inappropriate behaviour or comments from colleagues.

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