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Engineer Says Software Firm Cut Her Maternity Leave Short After Her Baby Died

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Re: Engineer Says Software Firm Cut Her Maternity Leave Short After Her Baby Died

#81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think this is naive. The HR department is simply the mouthpiece for the policies that the company’s management wants.

Depends on the company. I've worked for companies where horrid HR people recommended horrid policies to upper management. It was their way of making themselves feel important, and most of the staff feared the upper HR people.

I think there is a lot of internalised custom and practice that HR adhere to.

Re: Engineer Says Software Firm Cut Her Maternity Leave Short After Her Baby Died

#82
post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Economically, it makes sense to "discriminate" against pregnant women. I've heard this repeated a lot but I don't get it (I'm an employer). I mean I can't think of many things that would hurt team morale and hiring reputation more than treating a young female employee like shit just because she got pregnant (let alone went through something as horrific as losing a child). What kind of short-sighted psychopath boss…

>I mean I can't think of many things that would hurt team morale and hiring reputation more than treating a young female employee like shit just because she got pregnant Anecdote time based on my experience in SV and tech, and second-hand anecdotes from friends in NYC finance: Curiousgal's viewpoint isn't uncommon. The harshest judgment in these situations comes from other women. Men are generally more sympathetic, a…

You’ve been lucky in your career. I have, especially early in my career before I could afford to be choosy, encountered multiple managers, business owners and others who are basically cold and calculating about exploiting others. They see maternity through the lens of lost productivity and that’s it. They consider a woman’s age and relationship status and consider not hiring or promoting because pregnancy might get in the way.

When you’re a contractor you see these true colors come out more often. Clients who are more than happy to manipulate a situation to avoid paying you. Ethical lapses that they can rationalize to themselves as good business.

Re: Engineer Says Software Firm Cut Her Maternity Leave Short After Her Baby Died

#83
Is this not a straightforward result of making what would normally be family or personal leave contingent upon a specific purpose, rather than just generally reforming labor laws for everyone? You can have a significant life-changing death of anyone in your family.

Re: Engineer Says Software Firm Cut Her Maternity Leave Short After Her Baby Died

#84
post #78
post #71

It seems a bit insane to me that pregnancy leave is something we Americans mostly leave to the discretion of employers. If we as a society care about it, we should back it up with public dollars and public policy.

It would require taxation and there’s a segment of the population and most corporations who would fight that tooth and nail even if it only cost a small amount in aggregate.

Compared to the UK the social security system in the USA is fairly generous so if that is affordable so would be maternity leave.

Re: Engineer Says Software Firm Cut Her Maternity Leave Short After Her Baby Died

#85
post #8

I had a baby that died. It was an excruciating experience and nobody around us knew what to do or say. From personal experience I can say it should be treated as a grave mental health issue and companies should be forced to provide a great deal of leave to both parents. Whether leave is paid or unpaid, this should be treated in the same way as any disability or health related leave. IMHO it would be cheap for compani…

I can't imagine what it would be like, and I'm terribly sorry that this happened to you. BUT what's the limiting principle behind 'forcing' companies to provide 'a great deal of leave' for this? I certainly agree that it's reasonable for an employer to offer bereavement time for the loss of a close family member, but why should this be made into law?

Because of cases like this article. Evidently this woman's employer does not have the insight to behave like decent human beings and needs to be forced.

Your argument can be turned on just about any labor law. "It may be reasonable for a company to do this, but why should they be forced?" The answer is without reasonable minimum standards, some people will exploit their employees.

Re: Engineer Says Software Firm Cut Her Maternity Leave Short After Her Baby Died

#86
post #61

> Since Elizabeth Warren shared in a campaign video on October 9 that after becoming pregnant in 1971, she was pushed out of a teaching position—many women have spoken out on social media saying they’ve been denied promotions, fired, and retaliated against for their pregnancies. I’m sure most of those stories are true. Elizabeth Warren’s, however, was a lie.[1] [1] https://freebeacon.com/politics/county-records-contr…

My understanding is it was very common for teachers to be fired/contracts not renewed as soon as they announced they were pregnant. Not sure why you think a link to a site like freebeacon backs you up. I understand that people might not like her policies, but this stuff is clearly targeted swift boating. It doesn’t add to to the discussion.

in 1971 absolutely back then. I have worked for UK companies that until 76 or so women who got married where forced to resign

Re: Engineer Says Software Firm Cut Her Maternity Leave Short After Her Baby Died

#88
post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It would require taxation and there’s a segment of the population and most corporations who would fight that tooth and nail even if it only cost a small amount in aggregate.

Compared to the UK the social security system in the USA is fairly generous so if that is affordable so would be maternity leave.

How on earth did you come to that conclusion?

Re: Engineer Says Software Firm Cut Her Maternity Leave Short After Her Baby Died

#89
post #60

Well this may be a controversial stance, but her baby passed at birth. There was no maternity leave to take any more. What there was to take maybe was a bereavement leave.

Spoken like someone who's never been through childbirth! Not that I have either, but having seen it a few times I don't think I'd recover quickly even without the bereavement. The blood being mopped up - literally with a mop - after my wife's episiotomy was like something from a horror movie. I don't think they let you drive for 6 weeks after a caesarian in the UK.

I'm in the US and a coworker came to work the next day after giving birth. There is no time allotted for maternity leave and she had already used her vacation time at the beginning of the year before she was pregnant. I was at a charity event with the CEO and he was laughing about it saying."she was born to breed."
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