How to Support a Pregnant Employee

Companies cannot discriminate against pregnant employees, but there is that more companies can and should do to support expecting employees and their partners. Read more to learn how to be an employer of choice.

About half the workforce is female, so there's a good chance you will at some point be managing pregnant employees. The first thing to know is that the Pregnancy Discrimination Act forbids discrimination based on pregnancy when it comes to any aspect of employment, including hiring; firing; pay; job assignments; promotions; layoffs; training; fringe benefits, such as leave and health insurance; and any other term or condition of employment. Despite being illegal, however, pregnancy discrimination still takes place in the workplace.

Given that approximately 85% of working women will be pregnant at some point during their careers, managers will likely need to address this in their businesses. As companies formulate their parental leave policies, they should keep in mind that discrimination can have direct consequences for pregnant employees' careers. They may lose promotions, earn lower salaries, or suffer stress and other health consequences.

Here are three steps companies can take to show their support:

1. Offer flexible work options

The post-COVID-19 world mainstreamed the idea of remote work and flexible schedules. These options should be offered to pregnant employees whenever possible. Employees who must work in person should be granted time off for prenatal health care on a regular basis, including for appointments with their obstetricians as well as other health care providers. This means allowing pregnant employees to adjust their schedules as necessary. This also applies to partners and spouses of pregnant employees.   

2. Provide an overview of parental benefits

The Family and Medical Leave Act provides certain leave rights, but it doesn't cover every company and the mandated leave is unpaid. So businesses may want to go beyond it to develop their own parental leave policy. Managers should know what the company's benefits are and be prepared to tell employees about them. Also, different states have their own laws that companies need to be aware of.

Whether the company has a formal policy or not, managers should regularly ask what type of support the employee needs. That support can range from a reduced schedule for hourly workers to paid time off under some contracts. Managers should never assume they know what the pregnant employee wants or needs without discussing any adaptations or changes with the employee.

3. Cultivate a culture of workplace wellness

Working at a company that stresses workplace wellness is a big benefit for all employees, including pregnant employees. Such workplaces have an inclusive culture that promotes psychological safety and helps teams effectively manage differences, whatever those differences might be, including gender, health or parental status. Despite the PDA, statistics show that nearly 15,000 pregnancy discrimination claims were filed against businesses in the United States in the past five years. Don't let your company join their ranks.

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