Pregnant women often face discrimination at their places of employment. But this form of harassment often takes a different form from harassment you may hear a lot about. Because of that, you may not even know that you are a target at first.
So what does pregnancy discrimination look like? How can you tell if you are the unwitting target?
Subtle discrimination against pregnant workers
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission examines common forms pregnancy discrimination takes. Many of them involve the subtle and methodical removal of the pregnant worker from the workplace environment. The overarching goal is to get the pregnant worker to quit so the employer does not have to pay for pregnancy leave.
As an example, you may notice that your schedule has lightened in recent times. Perhaps you are not getting as many invites to meetings. Maybe your employers are leaving you out of group discussions. In many instances, they may frame this as attempting to lighten your load and give you less to stress about.
Is it well-intentioned?
In reality, they may be attempting to give you less and less to do. They may also attempt to ostracize you from bonding and group activities. You may get less invitations to do things after work with colleagues. Sometimes, a person will preface this by saying it is due to alcohol present at the event or venue.
At times, it is hard to tell what is well intentioned but poorly executed and what is malicious. If you notice continued isolation, snubbing, and even employers giving your work to others, it could point toward the latter. If you find yourself discriminated against due to your pregnancy, consider seeking legal consult.
