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Pregnancy and motherhood - Challenges and the role of the employer

Posted by Ann Caluori | Tue, 28/01/2025 - 11:40

Guest blog by Cat Blake

98% of mothers want to work, dispelling the myth that women do not want to return after having children.

But, within three years of having children, 85% leave full-time employment, and 19% leave the workforce altogether.

Pregnant women also face challenges, with 1 in 5 experiencing harassment or negative comments about their pregnancy.

Being made redundant during my second maternity leave could have easily been an entirely negative experience, yet it proved to be a catalyst for change. Within a few weeks, I applied for a Masters in Workplace Health and Wellbeing at the University of Nottingham.

My research topic was inspired by both personal experiences and those of my social and professional network. During an initial literature review, it became evident that there was a paucity of research on my chosen area: the challenges pregnant women and mothers face in the workplace. The key research questions were as follows:

  1. What work-related challenges have you faced while pregnant / as a working mother?
  2. What organisational policies and practices were helpful and supportive when you were pregnant / a working mother?
  3. What could the employer introduce or change to better support you whilst pregnant / as a working mother?

471 women participated in my survey. It was evident from the richness of the responses that female employees wanted to engage with this subject. Reading through detailed depictions of their personal experiences was emotional. Several key themes emerged from my analysis:

What work-related challenges were experienced:

By pregnant women:

  • Managing pregnancy symptoms.
  • Dealing with an unsupportive manager and workplace culture.
  • Managing the workload and work schedule.
  • Travel requirements.

By mothers:

  • Dealing with an unsupportive manager and workplace culture.
  • Juggling the responsibilities of work and home.
  • Childcare (costs and issues with flexibility).

What organisational policies and practices were helpful:

For pregnant women:

  • Maternity policy.
  • Time off for antenatal appointments.
  • Supportive line manager.
  • Risk assessments.

For mothers:

  • Flexible work options – part-time, hybrid and term-time only options.
  • Supportive line manager. 

How could the employer better support:

Pregnant women:

  • HR, policy and practices – make accessing policies easier and provide more direct contact with HR.
  • Provide a more supportive workplace culture with greater empathy for what pregnant women experience.
  • Provide greater flexibility – more options to adapt work schedules and roles.
  • Have line managers improve communication with pregnant employees to check on their wellbeing.

Mothers:

  • Provide great flexibility – more options to adapt work schedule.
  • Provide a workplace culture with greater empathy, encouraging a healthier work-life balance.
  • Ensure consistent support from line managers and a uniform application of policies and practices throughout the organisation.
  • Other policies and practice suggestions include maintaining hybrid working, providing financial support for childcare, and having a fairer annual leave policy to enable leave during school holidays.

The experiences of pregnant women and mothers can be hugely varied, ranging from  positive to negative. Even though an organisation has a portfolio of policies and practices, the degree to which women benefit varies. A lack of consistency in the competencies of line managers in conjunction with an unsupportive workplace culture appear to be a reoccurring theme. It was apparent from participants’ responses that the line manager was the critical factor determining the nature of women's experiences. There were repeated requests for line managers to receive training to understand better the challenges pregnant women and mothers faced to provide improved support to this group.

Further research into how changes to organisational elements can improve this group's wellbeing and their workplace experience is where my focus now resides.

Cat Blake completed her MSc in Workplace Health and Wellbeing at Nottingham University.