We’re not going to sugar-coat it, things aren’t great for working mums and pregnant women. It can feel frustrating and a bit depressing at times, but by being part of the PTS volunteer team, you get to turn that frustration and anger into something positive. We are looking for women who have experienced pregnancy or maternity discrimination who want to support other women going through a similar experience by volunteering on our mentor programme.
What is our mentor programme?
Our mentor programme is a peer to peer support service for women taking legal action against an employer. The programme has been operating for almost 6 years and has supported hundreds of women undertaking the grueling process of holding their employer to account after they have experienced pregnancy or maternity discrimination. Many of the women who use our programme cannot afford a lawyer but are desperate for some level of support. Our mentors are not legally trained, they simply want to offer emotional support, friendship and signposting to other women experiencing discrimination. Women who use our mentor programme say that this helps them deal with the stress of the situation which means they are more likely to pursue the case to the point of financial settlement or tribunal.
Our mentors will work with a mentee from the point they are assigned their tribunal date right up until the tribunal itself or until a settlement has been secured. We use specialist software called Valla to track the progress of the case and to support the mentee when creating their bundle, ET1 form and other documents.
Mentors undertake training conducted by the Pregnant Then Screwed team and outside professionals to ensure they feel equipped to offer the necessary support to a woman taking legal action against her employer.
Time commitment
As legal claims can take up to 3 years to complete you need to be prepared for this when agreeing to mentor a woman undertaking legal action. Although some mentees are keen for additional support the average time commitment from each mentor is about 2 hours per week.
You would be a great mentor if:
- You are able to empathise and offer emotional support
- You have a personal understanding of undertaking legal action for workplace discrimination and you have tribunal experience
- You have a real desire to help end the Motherhood penalty
- You can commit to supporting at least one woman through the grueling process of taking legal action
⭐Our asks from our mentors are based on what mentees find the most helpful when they look for support
What you can expect from us:
- Onboarding call and full support from the core PTS team
- Training and workshop sessions throughout the year
- Access to our volunteer events calendar and a dedicated online space
- Support from fellow mentors and Employment Law Professionals (via our secure Whatsapp group)
“The impact of this process on women cannot be underestimated, I want to do whatever I can to support them”
Anna, PTS Mentor Programme Volunteer
How to apply:
If you are interested in being part of our incredible team of volunteers please email us at [email protected] and tell us a little bit about your experience and we will arrange an informal chat detailing all you need to know to get started.
I am mentoring a number of women who are going through the tribunal process. The mentor programme is such a brilliant service. The impact of this process on women cannot be underestimated and I want to do whatever I can to support them. It is rewarding to know that they find this support really useful.
Anna, PTS Mentor Programme Volunteer
