Engineer Says Software Firm Cut Her Maternity Leave Short After Her Baby Died • Hacker News Board

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

#101

Post by egdod » Sun, Nov 03, 2019, 8:35 PM UTC

walshemj wrote: post #86

brohoolio wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Generalizations don’t support Warren’s claim in particular.

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

#102

Post by marcoseliziario » Sun, Nov 03, 2019, 8:38 PM UTC

jacquesm wrote: post #59

xenihn wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>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…

> I would not be surprised if this decision came all the way down from a female manager, with men lower on the chain voicing opposition and being overruled. That's very speculative and likely not true.

Unfortunately, I've seen this too many times to believe it is "likely not true".

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

#103

Post by egdod » Sun, Nov 03, 2019, 8:41 PM UTC

Cenk wrote: post #79

egdod wrote: 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…

Ridiculous. Of course the official record doesn’t state ”We fired her because she was pregnant“.

Imagine if Donald Trump recently started making some new claim about an event that happened decades ago. Imagine CNN dug up the only historical records that exist, and they directly contradicted that claim.

Would you be this credulous then?

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

#104

Post by bonzini » Sun, Nov 03, 2019, 8:44 PM UTC

kgwgk wrote: post #38

itronitron wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From the company's standpoint, any employee that quits is simply a cash giveaway and a huge loss.

Especially when they had been giving cash in return for nothing. The cash giveaway is in the paid leave part, not in the quitting part.

In many countries it is the state that pays for maternity leave (or sick leave after the first few N days).

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

#105

Post by bb88 » Sun, Nov 03, 2019, 8:47 PM UTC

So people have been doing this thing called "management" for, what? centuries now?

Why in 2017 (the date of this occurence) does management still suck at stuff like this?

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

#106

Post by dwoozle » Sun, Nov 03, 2019, 8:49 PM UTC

arkades wrote: post #58

chrisco255 wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While no doubt someone will never fully emotionally get over something so tragic, sometimes the best thing for you is to get back on the horse and your work and your life and move on.

Having bereavement leave does not preclude returning to work. It precludes being forced to return to work when one cannot.

Exactly. I had 30 days bereavement leave when my mother died but decided to return to work after a week. It was a world of difference from just having the week.

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

#107

Post by drewbug01 » Sun, Nov 03, 2019, 8:53 PM UTC

mattrp wrote: post #56

>> “Eight weeks of paid leave includes up to two weeks prior to the birth and assumes a normal vaginal delivery,” an HR representative said write to Jennifer I bet if most companies simply got rid of the HR departments altogether, not only would inhumane and repulsive policies like the above not exist, I bet most employees would be happier and more productive.

HR - in service of protecting the companies interests - just as often prevent managers from discriminating.

I think a better solution is to have stronger laws that favor workers. HR will enforce them because they don’t want their company in legal trouble, and employees gain the benefit the laws provide. Everyone wins, more or less.

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

#108

Post by mnm1 » Sun, Nov 03, 2019, 8:54 PM UTC

lquist wrote: 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.

Agreed, but as a society, we clearly only care about babies before they're born. And we simply don't care about adults at all.

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

#109

Post by drewbug01 » Sun, Nov 03, 2019, 9:04 PM UTC

egdod wrote: post #103

Cenk wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ridiculous. Of course the official record doesn’t state ”We fired her because she was pregnant“.

Imagine if Donald Trump recently started making some new claim about an event that happened decades ago. Imagine CNN dug up the only historical records that exist, and they directly contradicted that claim. Would you be this credulous then?

Apples and oranges. If Trump were a woman, claiming that they experienced pregnancy discrimination in the past, and the official record contradicted that ... then yes, I would believe Trump.

Pregnancy discrimination, and discrimination against women in particular, has been so insidious and so pervasive for so many years, that the standard for proof has changed accordingly.

Apples and oranges, covered by a veneer of intellectualism and a subtle accusation of partisan bias. It’s pretty transparent trolling to be honest.

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

#110

Post by dominicr » Sun, Nov 03, 2019, 9:07 PM UTC

egdod wrote: post #103

Cenk wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ridiculous. Of course the official record doesn’t state ”We fired her because she was pregnant“.

Imagine if Donald Trump recently started making some new claim about an event that happened decades ago. Imagine CNN dug up the only historical records that exist, and they directly contradicted that claim. Would you be this credulous then?

This not a theoretical argument. Trump regularly makes stuff up on the fly when there are multiple records proving the opposite. The White House has to make up 'alternate facts' on a pretty much daily basis to keep up.

The results are always the same: his die-hard supports believe him, and reality is altered; his opponents point it out and wonder how anyone can think he's not maniacal; and the Republican party sighs and repeats the mantra "you dance with the one that brought you".