Are pregnany women treated differently in the workplace?
By jen_barre
@jen_barre (104)
United States
June 2, 2009 9:01am CST
I have always thought of myself as a strong, independent almost tough woman. I don't like to take anything from anybody. I work in a predominately male environment and am very cautious of being treated "differently". Now that I am pregnant I am picking up on all these different feelings towards me...now co-workers are acting like I am being "hormonal" or too sensitive, my manager is questioning whether or not I am REALLY going to return from maternity leave. I find this to be unfair, if a man were going out for knee surgery would that same question be asked of HIM? I feel like this pregnancy is changing the way everyone looks at me - suddenly I am not being taken seriously...has anyone else every experienced this?
2 responses
@luvandpower (2048)
• United States
2 Jun 09
I think it is being took out of the true point. He probably just cares about your position in the workplace. I know for a fact I would want to know as an employer if my employee was returning or if I was going to have to hire a new person.
@jen_barre (104)
• United States
2 Jun 09
You are probably right, but I've learned that he's been undermining my projects lately too. I have been working on this project for a couple of months, I just learned that he's brought in a vendor that I didn't intend to bring in....this is something he would have NEVER done before I was pregnant....it just doesn't feel right to me.
@luvandpower (2048)
• United States
2 Jun 09
When I think about what you just replied with it brings up a couple of different reasons this could be why:
1) He is just concerned about you never experiencing it before himself( no idea how old he is so yeah...)
2) If he would had NEVER done it before could it just be that he that wants to try a vendor while you are away to test sales? ( Not that I am a business person myself so no idea how that works...)
3) You may be right:)
@jen_barre (104)
• United States
2 Jun 09
Yeah...I don't know either - he's definitely hard to figure out. I'm being somewhat of a feminist here, but once a man thinks of a woman as "needy" or maybe even "weak" I think it just changes how they rely on them from a business standpoint. It frustrates me. Even the other day I requested to work from home, he ran it by a co-worker before approving it!!! He's never done that before...I think it inherently changes a man's opinion once you become the mother, or the woman with hormonal changes etc...they are then the stronger gender (in their eyes).
I'm having a little girl too so I will be imparting these feminist views on her. LOL
@leyisa (486)
• Canada
3 Jun 09
when I was pregnant with my kids, I also felt as though everyone was walking on egg shells around me - my husband was afraid to hurt my feelings b/c he though I was too sensitiv - My coworkers though i was too senstive. AND everyone keeps wondering whehter im' returining from mat leave or not - This is b/c a lot of people at the firm did not return after pregnancy...I totally agree with you that a man would not be treated the same way....I also felt as though I wasn't beign taken seriously..
@jen_barre (104)
• United States
3 Jun 09
Thanks leyisa!
I was beginning to think I was the only one! I wish I didn't have to come back quite honestly, but I have to keep working (boooo!). I certainly hope his tune changes when I do return, it's not going to be easy leaving the new baby at home and coming in to work to be treated like this!
