Pregnant or on maternity leave? Congratulations! … On being fired! What a rude way to give a new mom one’s best wishes, right? Unfortunately, far too many women have to experience this when revealing the big news. Up to 74,000 UK women are pushed out of their jobs yearly for being pregnant or taking maternity leave; a sharp rise from 54,000 in 2026.
The numbers come from research conducted by Women In Data® in partnership with the Pregnant Then Screwed. With a mission to end the motherhood penalty, the charity has recently launched a new campaign aimed at spotlighting the injustice pregnant women, those on maternity leave, or moms returning to their jobs have to face at work.
“The Career Shredder” was launched on February 27, 2025. It takes the shape of a giant shredder that destroys thousands of CVs, aiming to expose the discrimination women face in the workplace. Aired across a billboard in Westfield through Ocean Outdoor, the charity is live-streaming the shredder as it destroys thousands of CVs. More than 26000 documents have been virtually shredded by now, urging decision-makers and businesses to reflect on their policies and practices.
The campaign is also supported by OOH, PTS sharing posters with words such as “Mum, you’re fired” across the UK. Anyone can join the initiative by uploading their CVs to the Career Shredder website via LinkedIn. Once uploaded, the website generates a “ruined” image of either a user’s profile pic or the campaign’s image.
Those who get involved can then choose to save the pictures or get involved in the initiative by sharing one of them on social media alongside the #careershredder hashtag and @pregnant_then_screwed tag. The campaign was brought to life with the help of Gemma Phillips, The 5Gs, Ocean Outdoor, Clear Channel, Acast, String and Tins, Sliced Studio, and Jenna Hinton.
CREDITS
Brand: Pregnant Then Screwed
Audio Post Production: String and Tins
Sound Designer: Culum Simpson
Audio Producer: Ellie Hook
Creative Director: Gemma Phillips
Creatives: Sam Sword & Harry Osborne
Production: The 5Gs
Executive Producer: Emma Jackson
Executive Creative Director: Greg Furber
Technical Director: Oliver Kibblewhite
Production: Rising Tide Studio
Designer: Kerry Roper
Designer: Harry Osborne
Motion Designers: Neal Coghlan
Motion Designer: Ben White
Photographer: Jenna Hinton
Videographer: Sliced Studios
