Pregnant Hypocrisy

Okay, look – this is getting ridiculous. Everyday I am confronted with just tons of evidence how little pregnant mothers and children are though of in this society. And yet, the lip service, the worshipful praise given the importance of motherhood and the holy infinitely valuable lives of children seems to be in full verbal pandemic mode.

I want to scream.

If we cared about pregnant women, we would do something to make their lives easier like paid leave.

If we cared about children, we would fund their education as a priority and maybe even make sure they have enough to eat.

If you think motherhood and childhood are just wonderful but aren’t willing to lift a finger to help either, maybe you could do me a favor and just shut up.

James Pilant

Why Are Workplaces Still Not Ready For Pregnant Workers? | ThinkProgress

The majority of new moms say they worked while they were pregnant, yet their employers often failed to accommodate their pregnancies before giving birth or their needs afterward, according to a new survey from the National Partnership for Women & Families.

The organizations surveyed more than 1,000 women between the ages of 18 and 45 who had given birth between July 2011 and June 2012. Nearly two-thirds of the women reported being employed during their pregnancies, with more than half working full time. And many of them needed some changes to continue working while also maintaining their health: 71 percent needed more frequent breaks, 61 percent needed to change their schedules or take leave time to get health care, more than half needed a change in duties such as taking on less heavy lifting or getting more chances to sit, and 40 percent needed another workplace adjustment.

Yet many said they either didn’t bring up their needs for accommodation while they were pregnant, possibly out of fear of repercussions or refusal, or had them rejected outright. More than 40 percent who needed more breaks never asked about them, and of those who did, 5 percent were rejected. Nearly 40 percent who needed to change their responsibilities never brought it up, and 9 percent who did were denied. More than a quarter who needed to change their schedules or take time off didn’t raise their need while 9 percent were rejected. While the report notes that most employers who were asked for an accommodation honor the requests, the percent who are denied is still troubling. “Based on estimates of the number of employed women who give birth annually, this means that more than one-quarter million women are denied their requests each year, threatening the health of women and their children.” It also notes that a “significant number” of those who were denied said their employer claimed that it wasn’t obligated to honor their pregnancy-related requests.

via Why Are Workplaces Still Not Ready For Pregnant Workers? | ThinkProgress.