Petition · past parliament

Enforce home working or leave for pregnant workers in line with current guidance

Rejected 10 signatures

What the petition asks

Legally mandate home working or paid leave for pregnant workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. Many businesses are following Government guidelines, but the NHS and other frontline organisations are still forcing pregnant women to work in clinical areas, despite a lack of evidence regarding safety.
Government recommendations are for all pregnant women to self-isolate for a 12 week period during the C19 pandemic.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists report advises pregnant women should self isolate, however later suggests healthcare workers are safe to continue clinical work, despite mounting PPE availability concerns. Research into miscarriage risk, foetal and maternal safety is extremely limited and lacks insight into the long term developmental implications.

Why it was rejected

There was already a petition about this issue. Duplicates are rejected so signatures collect in one place.

You may wish to sign this petition calling for the same action: Require all vulnerable and at risk people to stop going to work

You can find out more about coronavirus and how you can protect yourself and others here:

www.gov.uk/coronavirus
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

The Government has also created an online service to help you out what you can do if you’re struggling because of coronavirus: https://www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-support

You can read NHS tips to help if you are worried about coronavirus here: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-anxiety-tips

You can read impartial analysis of the Government response to coronavirus and policy developments here:
https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/coronavirus/

You may also be interested to know that because of the large number of petitions that have been started in relation to coronavirus, the Petitions Committee has been questioning the Government about its response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Find out more and watch the Committee put questions suggested by petitioners to Government Ministers and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/news/145767/committee-question-deputy-chief-medical-officer-and-ministers-on-coronavirus-response/

Read letters asking further questions of Government Ministers: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/publications/3/correspondence/

Timeline

22 Mar 2020 Petition opened for signatures
27 Apr 2020 Rejected by the Petitions Committee

Key facts

Signatures 10
Status Rejected
Rejected 27 Apr 2020

Follow this petition

Sign in to get an email when the government responds, a debate is scheduled or held, or the petition closes.

Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.