According to the Alliance Against Pregnancy Discrimination, which was formed by the charity Working Families and Citizens Advice, there has been an increase in women consulting lawyers because their jobs have been terminated during maternity leave or pregnancy.
About 30,000 women are estimated to lose their jobs as a result of pregnancy every year, according to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, but that figure is expected to rise because of the economic downturn.
It is too early for the tribunals service to have tracked any trends, but campaigners say there is evidence to suggest there has been a steep increase.