Regarding a sickness absence and the RTW form that follows in EveryHR -
We do need to ask whether an absence was pregnancy-related because, from an HR and legal perspective, these absences need to be recorded accurately. Pregnancy-related sickness must not be counted towards attendance triggers under the Equality Act, so identifying it correctly is important. That said, you are absolutely right that we must avoid putting anyone in a position where they feel pressured to disclose an early pregnancy before they are ready.
The intention behind the question is not to require disclosure, but to give employees the opportunity to tell us if that protection applies. Because the return-to-work interview form is generated through Every, we can’t amend the wording ourselves.
The suggested approach would be something like: “For recording purposes only, are you comfortable confirming whether any part of your absence was pregnancy-related? You are not obliged to share anything you do not wish to.”
