Employers have been warned not to use the credit crunch as an excuse to let go of female workers unnecessarily.
Speaking to the Sunday Times, equality minister Harriet Harman stressed that some workers facing redundancy could become victims of discrimination, which she branded "unlawful".
Because many firms are attempting to cut costs there are fears they may let go of female members of staff because they are associated with costly maternity leave and flexible working requests.
Sarah Turner, employment law partner at Turner Parkinson law firm, said: "Given that many still perceive women as the primary child carers, this may lead to women losing out to men on recruitment."
This concern comes after last week's employment figures showed that the number of women in full-time work fell by 53,000 in the three months to November.
According to XpertHR, female employees should agree on the amount of contact they are going to have with their manager before going on maternity leave, Personnel Today reported.
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