Via Salon: The British High Court recently ruled that women who are passed up for promotions because they take maternity leave will be allowed to sue for sex discrimination, according to a story in the Telegraph.

It said that the time a woman takes on maternity leave -- which can be up to a year from next month -- must count as continuous service and be included where it affects her promotion. She is also entitled to be fully consulted about any changes to her job while she is looking after her baby.

In addition, the court ruled that a woman harassed by a customer can take legal action against her employer for failing to protect her…

Pregnancy discrimination and sexual harassment affect thousands of women each year. A recent EOC investigation found that almost half of pregnant working women experience some disadvantage in the workplace as a result of pregnancy or maternity leave.

I was really disappointed at Salon’s Catherine Price’s reaction:

Having never had a baby, I've always been a bit confused about how maternity leave is supposed to work. I mean, you get paid time off to spend with your newborn, but how do you avoid falling horribly behind in your career? (That may seem like a stupid and obvious question, but it's one that no one seems to have figured out an answer to.)

First of all, at least in this country, maternity leave is largely unpaid. Here in progressive California, I got half my paycheck for six weeks as part of disability -- and only because I paid into it! My friend who freelanced and did not pay into the system got squat.

I also have this question to pose to Catherine: If you take off a year from work -- for whatever reason -- does this mean you would forget how to write a news story? For people who have put in many years at a job, I am sure their trade becomes as second nature as riding a bicycle. This whole "we can never leave our desks EVER because we will forget how to work!" has always rung hollow to me.