Unfair Treatment At Work During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a beautiful experience, but it does pose certain practical challenges. Especially for pregnant working women, handling the symptoms of pregnancy becomes very difficult. Most women face unfair treatment at work place during pregnancy. It is just as common as the corporate glass ceiling; you cannot see it but it is there.

Dealing with unfair treatment at work during pregnancy is a challenging task. That is why pregnant working women need to be aware of their rights as employees. Here are some forms of unfair treatment women face at work during pregnancy, and ways to deal with them.

Unkind Words

It is hard to define what constitutes as unfair treatment at work during pregnancy. But most pregnant women agree that it is the harsh words that hurt the most. When you are pregnant, you tend to become a little slow or muddled with your work. If your boss or colleagues make snide remarks about it, it can hurt. You cannot do much about it legally, but you can talk to the concerned person or your HR about the harassment.

Passing You Over For Promotions

If it is known that you are pregnant, you would most likely be passed over for promotions or increments. So if you have an appraisal due before you are 3-4 months pregnant, don't reveal the news that you are expecting. It is very difficult to prove pregnancy discrimination when it comes to appraisals.

Not Granting Leaves

Sadly, it is up to your organisation to grant you extra leaves during your pregnancy. But if you have earned leaves which you want to utilise during your pregnancy, your management cannot stop you from doing so.

Maternity Leave

In India, every organisation that has more than 15 people working in it is liable to give 3 months of paid maternity leave to its employees. You can ask for an extension of another 3 months of unpaid leave but it is up to your organisation to accept or reject this request.

Work Conditions

A pregnant working woman cannot keep standing for a long period of time. Most multi-national companies try to make the work environment comfortable for their pregnant employees by giving them good chairs and a serene work space. In this matter positive discrimination during pregnancy is a part of the norm.

'Take A Break'

Many organisations try to either fire pregnant employees or mask such threats by advising them to 'take a break'. This is the perfect example of unfair treatment at work during pregnancy. If your boss or any other person suggests that you should resign from work because you are pregnant, don't be scared to answer back. It is illegal to pressurize pregnant working women in this way.

At the end of the day, unfair treatment at work during pregnancy is one of the corporate malpractices that exist. You have to be prepared to meet the challenges. Have you faced such difficult situations at work?