Yes, an employee who is pregnant or on maternity leave can be made redundant in some circumstances, but the process needs to be handled extremely carefully. Pregnancy, maternity leave and some other family-related leave come with specific legal protections.
This guide is a practical starting point for architecture practices and employees. It is not legal advice. For a live situation, slow the process down, read the official guidance and get proper HR or legal support.
The short answer
A role can become genuinely redundant, but pregnancy or maternity leave must not be the reason someone is selected. The employer also needs to understand the priority rules around suitable alternative vacancies.
Acas explains that pregnant employees and some new parents have special redundancy protection. If there is a suitable alternative vacancy, the employer must offer it to someone with that protection as a priority. Read the Acas redundancy protection guidance before taking action.
Why architecture practices need to be careful
Architecture practices are often project-led. If a project pauses, a client changes scope or a pipeline weakens, managers can move quickly into restructuring conversations. That speed is dangerous if the process is not documented properly.
- Do not use maternity absence as a selection factor.
- Do not score availability or recent project exposure unfairly.
- Do not assume someone on leave cannot be consulted.
- Do not hide behind a vague business reason if the evidence is weak.
- Do not rush a decision because the conversation feels uncomfortable.
Listen: fairer workplace decisions
This related Architecture Social conversation with Jane Hatton is about inclusive recruitment and fair employment thinking, which is useful context when a workplace process affects protected or vulnerable groups.
What employers should check first
- Is there a genuine redundancy situation?
- Who is in the selection pool and why?
- Are the selection criteria fair, measurable and documented?
- Has any pregnancy or maternity-related absence been excluded from scoring?
- Are there suitable alternative vacancies?
- Has the employee been consulted properly, including if they are away from work?
What employees should ask
If you are pregnant, on maternity leave or recently returned and are told your role is at risk, ask for the process in writing. You do not need to be aggressive. You do need clarity.
- What is the business reason for the redundancy proposal?
- Who is in the selection pool?
- What criteria are being used?
- How have pregnancy or maternity-related absences been treated?
- Are there suitable alternative vacancies?
- What consultation meetings and appeal steps are available?
How selection can go wrong
Acas guidance on redundancy selection warns that selection criteria should be fair and not include absences related to pregnancy or maternity. That matters in architecture, where recent project visibility, office presence and client contact can easily be confused with performance.
Common mistakes
- Treating someone on maternity leave as out of sight and therefore easier to remove.
- Scoring recent project involvement without adjusting for family-related absence.
- Failing to offer a suitable alternative vacancy where the protection applies.
- Consulting too late, after the decision has effectively been made.
- Using friendly language while the written process is poor.
Architecture Social view
Stephen’s recruiter view is simple: if a redundancy decision would look uncomfortable when written out clearly, it probably needs more work before it happens. A fair process protects the employee, but it also protects the practice’s reputation.
Next step
If you are an employee, get the process and criteria in writing. If you are an employer, check Acas guidance and speak to proper HR or legal support before making decisions. For wider hiring and employer-brand planning, use Architecture Social recruitment consultancy.
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