Self-employed mums are being unfairly penalised when starting a family - and so are dads who want to take parental leave, whether they are self-employed or employees. Moves are afoot to challenge the discrimination and it can’t come soon enough for many parents.
Around 4.8 million people, 15% of the UK workforce, are self-employed. Amongst women, self-employment has risen by 63% since 2008, according to The Association of Self-Employed People (IPSE).
Self-employed parents are afforded much less support in the first year of their child’s life than their employed counterparts, which may explain why self-employed women take only an average of 23 weeks maternity leave, according to a report by mortgage broker John Charcol.
