Pregnancy Discrimination in the Workplace

This assignment focuses on evaluating a research study about pregnancy discrimination in the workplace. The student presents the study's methodology, which includes interviews with pregnant employees. They analyze the study's strengths, such as using open-ended questions to allow for in-depth responses, and its limitations, including a small sample size and lack of employer perspectives. The assignment concludes with suggestions for improvement, such as incorporating feedback from both pregnant and non-pregnant employees, as well as managers.

Running head: PREGNANCY DISCRIMINATION AT WORKPLACE
PREGNANCY DISCRIMINATION AT WORKPLACE
Name of the Student
Name of the university
Author’s note

1PREGNANCY DISCRIMINATION AT WORKPLACE
Table of Contents
Background....................................................................................................................................................4
Aims...............................................................................................................................................................4
Methods..........................................................................................................................................................4
Results............................................................................................................................................................5
Discussion......................................................................................................................................................5
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................................7
List of questions.............................................................................................................................................9
Feedback from the plan................................................................................................................................10

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Background
Workplace discrimination occurs when an employee is treated unfavourably due to his race, skin
colour, gender, disability, age or religion, pregnancy, disability (Brac 2012). Pregnancy is normally a
happy event for most of the women. The news looks forward to sharing with people with whom she
spends a significant time of her life, the co-workers (Mäkelä 2012). Pregnancy discrimination occurs
when an employer refuses to hire a woman because of her pregnancy or refuses to provide her with the
basic rights of pregnancy such as grant of maternity leave, reasonable workload, health insurances and
equal access to benefits (Byron and Roscigno 2014). Pregnancy discrimination has been found to be one
of the common problems faced by most of the female employees in the corporate world (Cox 2012). Thus
the rationale for evaluating the feedback of pregnant women on this context is quite strong and steps
should be taken such that the pregnant employees are treated same as other employees with disabilities
for crediting of seniority, vacation calculation, increment and temporary disability benefits (Brac 2012).
Aims
The aim of this report is to evaluate and analyze the interview taken from the victims of
workplace discrimination, due to pregnancy.
Methods
Primary data was collected for the research. 2 participants were chosen for the interview, to
elucidate the perspectives and the views to in a comprehensive and a detailed manner. Both the
participants belonged to, two different workplace. One of the participants Mrs. X worked in a clerical post
in a public bank and Mrs Y worked as a human resource manager in a repudiated marketing company.
Open ended questions were asked to each of the participants in separate. The feedbacks of their

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experiences were recorded, transcribed and analysed. All the communications were categorized by
specific themes.
Results
Each of the participants was encountered with a set of open ended questionnaire. In both the cases
it was perceived that neither of the participants is well aware of their basic pregnancy rights. Participant Y
was not really happy with the safety protocol followed by the company. The other participant did not
show thoughts of resentful for her company. Mrs X has expressed that she has faced difficulties while
sitting for long hours at work, although it has not brought any physical ailments. Both the participants
have denied any obnoxious comments from their co-workers. Mrs X has admitted that she had faced
problems related to her maternity leaves. Both the participants have admitted that safety and the hygiene
at the workplace need to be increased. Both Mrs X and Y have said that they were not educated about the
basic pregnancy rights endorsed by the government.
Discussion
The woman working at the bank was quite comfortable with managing the pregnancy, she agreed
that the women working in this organisation positively supported her during the crucial time of pregnancy
and the administration had always complied with the legislation related to the PDA Act (Mäkelä 2012).
Responses to the next questions raised some doubt about the respondent’s knowledge of maternity rights,
which proves that most of the pregnant women are not aware of the basic rights they are entitled to get
and hence are easily deprived of it (Little et al. 2015). Mrs. Y on the other hand had a less positive
attitude towards management of pregnancy. Many of the companies are of the perception that pregnancy
places cost burden over an organisation (Salihu et al. 2012). As responded by Mrs Y, pregnant employees
are often not granted proper leaves and are often overloaded with work. Workplace safety is another
factor that is important for a woman in context of hygiene and safety (Morgan et al.2013). Being an HR
manager of the company it is her duty to look after wellbeing of the employees, but during the critical

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days of pregnancy, there are certain obligations that debar a woman from doing everything (Little et al.
2015). Although women are as resilient as men in terms of accomplishing professional duties, there are
certain jobs that are physically strenuous for a pregnant woman (Byron and Roscigno 2014). Hence it is
the duty of the operational managers to look after the safety, such as arrangement of comfortable sitting
arrangements for pregnant employees (Cox 2012). Both the respondents have agreed for the health
complications that have arisen for long working hours such as high blood pressure, lower back pain and
pubis dysfunction (Mäkelä 2012). They have also faced problems regarding the clearance of necessary
leaves for antenatal care or health checkups (Velez and Moradi 2012). As reported by the respondent,
problems were also faced regarding the pregnancy allowance. Maternity allowance is usually paid as soon
as the pregnancy becomes 26 weeks. Payments have to be started 11 weeks before the baby is due
(Salihu et al.2012). If one does not qualify for statutory maternity pay or the maternity allowance and is
on a low income, then one can also claim for income support. pregnancy discrimination can also be
unintentional as employees often become late to inform their organisation about their pregnancy, in those
cases the organisation might have to struggle with leaves and workforce balance (Cox 2012).
UK government has introduced 4 main legal rights such as paid time off for antenatal care, proper
maternity leave, paternity allowance, protection against discrimination (Salihu et al.2012). Both the
participants have admitted that although the company’s they are working with abide by the legal rights,
both the respondents have faced problems regarding denial of maternity leaves, promotion, demotion due
to inability to work, uneven pay (Byron and Roscigno 2014).
Conclusion
Thus from the above discussion it can be concluded that although most of the companies are
accommodating the requirements of the would-be mothers, there still lies a taboo with pregnancy and its
affect in the career prospects. While part of the expecting-female populations are not aware of the existing
rules and regulations related to maternity leave while the other part is still dubious or availing the same or

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getting victims of maternity leaves. The problems that women face in the workplace can make it difficult
to pursue their career. However, the government of UK is now working in favour of the re-designing the
structure of the maternity leave and re-structuring pay scale during the leave tenure.
References
Brack, K., 2012. American work-life balance: Overcoming family responsibilities discrimination in the
workplace. Rutgers L. Rev., 65, p.543.
Byron, R.A. and Roscigno, V.J., 2014. Relational power, legitimation, and pregnancy
discrimination. Gender & Society, 28(3), pp.435-462.
Cox, J., 2012. Pregnancy as' Disability'and the Amended Americans with Disabilities Act. Browser
Download This Paper.
Little, L.M., Major, V.S., Hinojosa, A.S. and Nelson, D.L., 2015. Professional image maintenance: How
women navigate pregnancy in the workplace. Academy of Management Journal, 58(1), pp.8-37.
Mäkelä, L., 2012. A Narrative Approach to Pregnancy‐related Discrimination and Leader–follower
Relationships. Gender, Work & Organization, 19(6), pp.677-698.
Morgan, W.B., Walker, S.S., Hebl, M.M.R. and King, E.B., 2013. A field experiment: Reducing
interpersonal discrimination toward pregnant job applicants. Journal of Applied Psychology, 98(5), p.799.
Salihu, H.M., Myers, J. and August, E.M., 2012. Pregnancy in the workplace. Occupational
medicine, 62(2), pp.88-97.
Velez, B.L. and Moradi, B., 2012. Workplace support, discrimination, and person–organization fit: Tests
of the theory of work adjustment with LGB individuals. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 59(3), p.399.

6PREGNANCY DISCRIMINATION AT WORKPLACE
List of questions
Serial
no.
Questions
1. Are you happy with the workplace safety protocols as per your pregnancy?
2. Do you have any other child bearing women employed at your workplace?
3. Are you comfortable with your sitting arrangements? Do the other workers extend their
hands of cooperation?
4. Please give us an insight on the safety and hygiene at your office?
5. Are you stressed out from the workplace workload, or how may it have impacted on your
health?
6. Are you comfortable with the working hours?
7. Are you satisfied with the leave structure that your company have set for you?
8. Do you have a clear idea about the maternity allowance? Did you apply for it i due time?
9. Are you aware of pregnancy Discrimination act (PDA), and its legal aspect? Does your
company abide by the same?
10. Have you faced any harassment or vexatious comments at your workplace?
11. Have you faced any difficulties for pregnancy regarding your appointments for top
assignments?

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Feedback from the plan
A. One of the strength of my study is that the open ended questions have helped the participants to
express their views and experiences openly and is not confined to merely 'yes' or 'no'. This has helped me
to analyse the perception of both the respondents and the organisation's perception in discrimination in
pregnancy.
One of the limitations of the study is the small sample population. The number of interviewees
would have been more to get an unbiased result. In this interview all the data are one sided. It was
necessary to include participants from the admin of the organisation itself.
B. Feedbacks should have been taken from both the employees and the employers to get an unbiased
result.
C. In order to prepare the final report I would include the feedback of both the pregnant and the non-
pregnant respondents. I would also include the feedback of the managers to understand the discernment of
the organisation.