Within the U.S., we often find immense purpose and identity in our work. This has been highlighted time and time again with every Gallup study within the last 5 years. People believe their work matters and desire to work for companies that foster belonging, purpose, and impact. These studies do not isolate by gender, but rather highlight the state of the workforce. Those studies reveal to us that people are looking for work to add to their lives and provide a sense of balance between work and life. In reading so many of these studies and seeing several correlations, it makes me wonder why (or how) work has become all-consuming or something else to manage in life?
Over the course of the next three months, we will be expanding on this topic for several demographics and the who of today’s article is primarily focused on pregnant workers. As an almost-mom (eight months pregnant myself), I am one of the lucky ones. I work for a company that desires to see me succeed and a boss who celebrates this life altering milestone with my family and recognizes that while my work is important, our team is set up to not miss a beat when I am on leave. Why am I a lucky one?
Let’s look at some data on the women who make up our workforce:
- In 2021, women made up 47% of the workforce in the United States.
- Approximately, 80% of women in the workforce are predicted to be pregnant at some point during their careers.
- There are 20 states, representing more than 1,000,000 pregnant women (annually), with no statewide pregnancy accommodations .
- There were approximately 3 million pregnant in the U.S. in 2021 – including live births, induced abortions, or fetal losses.
In short, 37% of the entire workforce will require a level of accommodation regarding pregnancy. As leaders, are we confident in how we are fostering our workforce during this time in their lives?
Effective Jun 27, 2023 The Federal Government passed the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act requiring employers to grant reasonable accommodations to pregnant women regarding all phases of pregnancy (think morning sickness, childbirth, postpartum recovery, etc.). The previous jurisdiction simply asked companies to practice “good faith” when navigating the requirements or needs of pregnant women and to accommodate accordingly.
The Pregnancy Fairness Act highlights that companies (and dare I say state governments) have not been acting in “good faith” or what could also be considered as fair dealing. Pregnancy discrimination has been on a steady decline since 2010, yet it is still happening, resulting in millions of dollars spent annually on resolving claims.
A publicized national example of why this Act is important would be the case of Patty Young vs. UPS. Patty Young, a UPS driver, was told by her OBGYN not to lift anything over 20 pounds as to not risk the life of her baby. When she approached her employer for the accommodation she was denied, resulting in her taking legal action. Ultimately, this is one story that highlights the choice many women feel they must make:
Do I risk the life of my child or do I continue working?
To put this in perspective, examples of the accommodations needed are as simple as adjustments to their uniforms (maternity wear), extra water breaks, permission to use the restroom as needed, or if working on an assembly line or factory – light duty work. As someone who partners with companies to inform their processes, the data for these accommodations seem to point to an adjustment in internal processes, not a wish to work less. This is a leadership issue and how can it be addressed? By considering an adaptation to our processes. This does not mean that the entire flagship needs to change course to adapt for one person. What this means is that there might be opportunities to clarify goals and adapt who can accomplish said goal.
At Always About People, we believe when people are under too much stress they cannot perform at their best. As leaders, if we know we have someone on our team who is expecting a baby, here are three ways we can consider supporting them:
- Celebrate
This can be a very exciting time for a family. While it is their information to share with colleagues, follow their lead on how they would like to notify their team(s). Allow them the opportunity to create a plan for building a maternity leave plan. Celebrate this with them by allowing them to continue to contribute! - Anticipate what will need to be accommodated
Morning Sickness impacts 70%-80% of pregnant women. During that first trimester, we can consider allowing these employees permission to work asynchronously, remotely, or simply asking them what needs to be done for the work to be completed and for them to be supported. - Create space for dialogue
Because conditions within pregnancy can change rapidly (each appointment holds opportunity for new information), consider meeting monthly or bi-weekly for additional feedback loops and space for greater support. - Lead with intention
Try not to speak for the individual or withhold information / opportunities from the individual. Leading with an awareness of what someone is experiencing informs us in how to intentionally support them and in what barriers might need to be removed. It is important to practice self-awareness in what your own bias might be. Keep in mind that pregnancy is not a disability.
Many pregnant women can and want to work, so why not set them up for success? Who knows, they could be raising your next CEO! While this work is circumstantially driven – we believe over time these changes foster greater loyalty to an organization which would increase retention, employee satisfaction, and support of the wellbeing of families for future generations.
Are you interested in creating cultures where people thrive? That is what we specialize in and we would love to keep the conversation going. Feel free to email me directly at beamer.barnes@alwaysaboutpeople.com if you are interested in grabbing a virtual cup of coffee.
