If you are working for an employer who has made it clear that they do not like when their female workers get pregnant, now is an appropriate time to make it clear that discriminating against you won’t be tolerated. As someone who has considered getting pregnant and having a child, that is a very personal decision and one that is completely normal in society.
Whether you get pregnant or not, you should not be treated differently at work. If you mention that you are thinking about getting pregnant, you should not have to worry about your employer or others in the workplace mocking you, discriminating against you or making it harder to work how you did in the past.
It’s not legal to discriminate against you for your gender or pregnancy
It’s not legal for your employer to decide to discriminate against you just because you’ve decided to get pregnant or have recently become pregnant. They do have an obligation, however, to treat you equally and with the same respect that you had in the past.
Keep track of discriminatory actions, so you can make a claim
If your employer makes a negative comment about you getting pregnant or suggests that you won’t be promoted or see success with the company if you do, then you need to start keeping track of those comments. Keep emails, write down the dates and times of comments made to you about your pregnancy or potential pregnancy and make sure you note down the witnesses who have overheard these comments, too.
Keeping good records is important because if you are terminated from your role, lose a promotion or are discriminated against in other ways, you’ll be able to build a strong case from the data that you have collected. If you don’t keep track of the statements made, it may be difficult to hold your employer responsible for their actions.
Once you have the evidence to support your pregnancy discrimination claim, consider speaking with the human resources department to make a complaint. If they will not help, then you may need to look into other legal options.