Mom Discrimination in the Workplace

An article, titled "Half the mothers I know have been driven from their jobs," in today's Guardian brought back many painful memories for me. This headline/quote is true for me. Many women that I know/knew had babies around the same time as me. Approximately half of those women lost their jobs. Now that my daughter is three and those women's children are older, many, including myself, are back in full-time employment. But not with the employer that we were with when we got pregnant.

My former employer was very supportive of my pregnancy. When I went on mat leave, I felt there would be no problem with my return -- a great person was hired to take over while I was gone and my job would be waiting for me when I returned. It was. But I learned on my second day back that I had essentially been demoted. The department of one that I had turned around and worked for years to reform and make very profitable had changed. The atmosphere had changed. I was no longer supported in leaving to pick my daughter up at daycare or take her to the doctor (though she was so sick she was hospitalized at one point). My former ability to work from home and work flexible hours was taken away. I complained. A week later I was let go.

A close friend working in a similar position was made redundant from her unionized job (which we all thought was safer) a month before she was due to return to work. The guy who replaced her happened to be bilingual. Though that skill was not needed her position, her job description was changed to include bilingualism as a requirement so that the company could keep her replacement full-time.

Another mom from my neighbourhood found out she was being let go a few weeks before her maternity leave was up. Downsizing. Several other professional women I know were downsized out of their positions while on mat leave. Much easier to downsize someone who isn't there, especially if no one replaced her while she was gone. If two people can do the work of three, why bring back the third?

I realize that the economy hasn't been at the top of the cycle for the past few years, but this problem seems to be systemic and international (judging by the Guardian article). Workplaces are run on men's timing, men who either don't have children or aren't involved with their children; that needs to change. We have the technology and the capability to offer all employees, including fathers, work/life balance with shared hours, flex time, telecommuting and good old empathy. But so many employers aren't doing it. We have to stop assuming that mothers are going to be less focused on their work or that moms will be happy to be out of a job they love. Mothers can bring fresh perspective to a position and a workplace. Yes, we want to be with our kids, but we also want meaningful work. And a little understanding.