Dumped On Maternity Leave
About 15 percent of employers who were claimed to have discriminated, tried to paint pregnant workers as undependable thanks to poor attendance or being late too many times, but in these cases, other workers weren’t held to the same standard. www.ThinkProgress.org
There’s no secret that this has been a topic of discussion lately in the news. All about the lack of sufficient paternity and maternity leave options for working parents. But, I never thought I’d find myself in the middle of my own maternity leave nightmare in a company I helped create.
More than 30% of pregnancy descrimination filings are in the lower wage service industry positions, impacting already struggling lower wage households.
"YOU HAVE TOO MUCH RESPONSIBILITY"
"CAN YOU FIND A NANNY?"
"YOU HAVE TOO MANY APPOINTMENTS"
These are the things I found myself having to reply to. In a company I helped create and commuted 60 miles daily to for over a year, I was being forced to choose between my unborn child and my job as if I had done something wrong. I had so many questions when it happened. So much pent up anger. I was already working days, nights, weekends and I built a good portion of what they were using to sell their product. But I was disposable for being pregnant and instead of supporting the one who supported them, I was dumped. I tried to channel my energy elsewhere. I had to find a way to spread the word to other employers.
Nearly 70% of working women are mothers to children under 18.
When we got pregnant, some of us had been trying for years. Some lost babies before this pregnancy, some have lost children and this was another chance. You see, before it happened, we did our jobs the way you asked. We got those atta boys and way to go’s, showed off the company’s growth due to our work and maybe even helped you build an entire company, department or program. We prided ourselves in our work and worked even harder to show you what we could do. There it is. What we hoped for. Oh no, when do I tell my boss? We were happy, nervous, scared or shocked. Many of us considered ourselves blessed to have the chance to just have a baby or add to our families. Instead of being happy for us, you went into defensive mode. You wanted to figure out how this would affect your company. Would I have to take time off for the birth? What about after the birth? Would I even come back after I have the baby? You started to question everything we did. You asked me when I had appointments and how many “days” I needed off to have the baby.
18% less women are in the workforce with children under 6, than over 6 years.
WE HOPED YOU'D INVEST IN US
When we were nervous to tell you that we were pregnant, but excited to share the news, we hoped you’d have the faith in us. We hoped you’d invest in us, like we invested in you. Some of us were willing to do whatever it takes to get our work done after that baby. But you gave up on us the moment we brought you the news. We worked even harder to prove ourselves, but you found a way to let us go. Imagine what would happen if we “let go” every woman who got pregnant in the United States. Imagine the lives this would affect.
Did you know that women-owned businesses account for nearly 3 trillion dollars in economic impact in the United States? Those businesses account for 16% of the US labor force!
Enlisting Other Employees To Do The Dirty Work
You’d be surprised which large corporations right here in Houston have actually instructed their male employees to find a way to fire the pregnant women. They’ve been told to nitpick their efforts, try to write them up so they have an excuse. They’ve been told to do whatever they have to do to “get rid of her”. Over a period of several months, while I was growing the company I helped create, my pregnancy and impending birth was discussed almost weekly. My job suddenly became more about defending and protecting myself, rather than about growing the company. In my case, my work was being questioned, even though I was working all hours with proof. My co-worker ended up discussing it behind my back with the employer. It felt like I was being ganged up on. Every day I waited for the next excuse. I began to hate my job. Many women experience this kind of discrimination. We want to share some resources with you, so you can defend yourself or start over again when you are left with nothing.
Unemployment rate for women with at least 1 child under the age of three is more than 9%.
Unemployment rate jumps to nearly 17% for single moms with children under 3
RIGHTS AND RESOURCES
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission www.eeoc.gov/laws/statutes/pregnancy.cfm
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PREGNANCY RIGHTS IN THE WORKPLACE-TEXAS www.twc.state.tx.us/news/efte/pregnancy_rights.html ---
1000 Days The right nutrition during this 1,000 day window has a profound impact on a child’s ability to grow, learn and thrive—and a lasting effect on a country’s health and prosperity. Learn more: www.1000days.com
JOB RESOURCES
Filing unemployment www.twc.state.tx.us/
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Resume BUILDER www.ResumeGenius.com
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Job hunting www.Indeed.com
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Work At Home
www.GoodThingsHouston.com
www.FlexJobs.com
www.Guru.com
