Female job applicants are still being discriminated against by potential employers because they may become pregnant, the Employment Lawyers Association (ELA) has claimed.

ELA secretary Richard Linskell says that discrimination is 'to some extent human nature' because employers do not want to have to pay the high costs of maternity leave.

Anti-discrimination laws mean that potential employers are not permitted to ask women about future plans - including whether or not they intend to have a child - meaning that all women of 'child bearing age' can suffer.

Linskell adds: 'Clearly, you cannot tell when someone is going to have a child; many women will have children later in life or may choose not to have children at all.'

Maternity leave regulations can hit small businesses particularly seriously because start-ups may not be able to afford costly maternity leave payments.

Employment Law Advisory Services found in a recent survey that over half of bosses consider whether a member of staff is likely to become pregnant before offering them a job.