It perhaps comes as no surprise that, with 54,000 UK women a year forced out of work due to pregnancy, almost one in five women admit to hiding their family plans from employers.

A survey commissioned by Starcom Mediavest Group, PR firm, Golin and recruitment experts, f1, has also found that over half (58%) of non-retired women would change their career plans for kids and 26% of mothers feel self-conscious about needing flexible hours.

A need to find more flexible working hours is the main contributing factor for women altering their career trajectory, according to the survey conducted by YouGov. Mothers with children under the age of 16 also fear that they will be judged or treated differently if they have to reduce their working hours, work from home or leave early from work to fit in childcare responsibilities.

Liz Nottingham, one of the founders of Back2Businessship, says, “This research highlights once again that UK workplaces still need to work harder to meet the needs of women who want to have a child. Our back2businessship initiative is all about highlighting, and then redressing, this issue within our associated sectors. But all businesses, across all industry sectors, need to evolve further. It is time to abolish a working world where women are forced to change career plans in exchange for family, or hide their family plans for fear of harming their career prospects. Businesses must rethink the way they help females shape their careers.’’

Statistics recently revealed by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) showed that 11% of women have been dismissed, made compulsorily redundant where others in the workplace were not, or treated so poorly they felt they had no choice but to leave their jobs, while pregnant or on maternity leave. In addition, one in 10 mothers felt that they were treated differently after returning from maternity leave.