Wrongly sacking women is "unlawful" minister warns

26/01/2009

The employment minister Harriet Harman has warned that firms disproportionately firing female workers are acting against the law.

Ms Harman told the Times: "There is a major fear about women being targeted by their employers during the downturn."

National Statistics have revealed 36,000 men lost their jobs during the last economic quarter - during the same period 53,000 female employees found themselves out of work.

One reason employers may have thought to reduce their female workforce is the new family friendly employment laws, says legal professional Sarah Parkinson.

Ms Parkinson told Personnel Today, employers sometimes "still perceive women as the primary child carers" and new legislation "as a considerable expense and disruption to the business".

That said, separate polls reveal men are far more likely to go bankrupt. Research by Tenon Recovery has hinted this was because men are less well organised.

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