For many women, pregnancy discrimination in the workplace is a reality―or at least a real fear. The other day, my partner and I found out that his newly-married cousin was pregnant. It was a surprise to her, and a delight to the family. Instead of questions about gender, due dates, baby showers, or bigger apartments, however, the first question on everyone’s lips was whether or not she had passed the three-month the probationary period of her new job. The period d’essai is a shaky time for any new hire in France, as an employer has license to fire an employee without an obligation to justify the dismissal, but it is an especially shaky time for women of child-bearing age, namely because women of child-bearing age are seen as carrying risks and expenses that their male counterparts do not carry as a result of both their anatomy and societal role as mothers.
While anti-discrimination laws exist to protect pregnant women in almost every developed country, a number of studies have shown that these laws have done little to change perception or practice regarding the hiring of pregnant, potentially pregnant, or soon-to-be pregnant women. A 2009 survey by HireScores.com recorded that 81% of British business managers “would ask female job applicants if they were pregnant, planned on having children or already had children” if they could. What’s worse, “almost 50% of managers admit to factoring in a woman’s age and relationship status when trying to establish whether they could potentially be getting pregnant in the future.”
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