MORE than one in three parents based in Yorkshire and the Humber feel they have been held back at work after having children, according to a new survey.

One in six claimed to have been passed over for promotion while nearly one in ten alleged having been denied a pay rise after giving birth.

A study of 2,000 UK adults, 202 of whom were based in Yorkshire and the Humber, also found that 39 per cent of adults in the region yet to have children fear that having kids in the future will have an impact on their career.

Nine per cent of adults in Yorkshire and the Humber said they had been told that having kids would be detrimental to their career opportunities, and 11 per cent were putting off having children for the time being as a result.

The study was commissioned by the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT), a professional body for vocational accountants.

Olivia Hill, chief hr officer, AAT, said: “The results of our survey are a sad indictment on our workplaces and the experiences of mothers and fathers.

“Across the UK, a third of women believe that having a child has had a negative effect on their career, a figure which is three times as many as men, and shows just one area where women have a harder time at work than their male colleagues.”

Nearly a fifth of parents in Yorkshire and the Humber also say their boss isn’t supportive when they need to take time off due to childcare.

Two per cent of people in the region believe that women and men should not be paid an equal amount for the same work.

And an incredible 19 per cent of Yorkshire and the Humber respondents think that the gender pay gap should be bigger for mothers.

18 per cent of adults in Yorkshire and the Humber have been paid less than their opposite gender for doing the same job.

Olivia Hill added: “After having children, men and women can experience the working world differently.

“Despite solutions such as shared parental leave coming in, the onus is still that women will generally pick up on childcare arrangements, and ultimately it is more likely to be their career which will be affected.

“Organisations can still do more to redress the balance if the gender gap is to truly become a thing of the past.”