Ummm, yeah. It's shouldn't, legally or ethically, but I really do think that for most mamas-to-be, it might. At least that's my feeling and was my feeling from the early days of my pregnancy on. I was freelancing for a large fundraising corporation when I found out I was barely pregnant. I was well into the symptoms but weeks away from telling my parents when I met with my supervisor about an opening she had for a full-time employee on her staff. I wasn't sold on working for her permanently but the decision made itself when she leaned across the desk and aggressively, flippantly said, "I'd love to hire you if you can promise me you won't get pregnant any time soon or anything like that..I'd need at least a year commitment on that."
This was a woman with two kids who fought her way into the executive offices after years as a stay at home mom and yet, there she was putting my fertility at the top of my resume. I didn't want this woman choosing my take-out lunch order for me let alone when I'd grow a human in my body and welcome a child into our family. The job opportunity (obviously) didn't go anywhere and two weeks later, I quit the whole freelancing gig altogether. I never told her I was already pregnant but I also fretted about working before the birth of my child and seriously doubted I could get a job at Starbucks once my belly started poking out.
I know my experience is total bullshit and also not extraordinary and this saddens and infuriates me. I know this because I've heard many women debating the right timing to share their pregnancy news with a supervisor, a new boss or even the person interviewing them for a fabulous new job. I don't just hate that people don't think women who are or might be pregnant should cast aside the classifieds with caffeine and lunch meat, but I hate that women doubt whether they should even apply for a job if they're even thinking about conceiving.
Some people (apparently those who haven't seen a copy of Ms. magazine ever) really believe that it is unfair for women to expect or pursue anything professionally once their wombs are occupied. And while other folks can site stats and crunch numbers about maternity leave and absenteeism, I think the bigger question is, "Do we socially and professionally value women who are choosing motherhood and careers at all?" Sure, it is a question for the ages, but one we need to continue to ask, to talk with among other job candidates, demand responses to from business owners and hiring squads and managers, and ask ourselves as we belly up to the reality.
There's a hot-button conversation going on over at Confessions of a Community College Dean about pregnancy and breaking into academia (so hot that it has been noted by the Chronicle of Higher Education). The dean himself has a fabulous response to a question about how much pregnancy factors into hiring decisions and the comments that follow are quite heated and interesting as well.
Whether you are an academic or an artist or an inventory stocker at Gap, have you ever been worried about being hired or promoted because you were pregnant or even just considering conception?
