By Maya Opendak

The recent MarketWatch article provides a much-needed reminder of the
difficulties that women face in the workplace as a direct result of
the simple physiology that distinguishes us from our male colleagues.

The article describes a rise on pregnancy related discrimination amid
drops in racial and sexual harassment and suggests mostly formal steps
in preventing the often difficult to prove professional backlash
against pregnancy. Perhaps some of the increase in pregnancy
discrimination, purportedly on the up and up in charges from last year
and generally since 1992, could be attributed to the subtle
distinction between common sense and protected status. After all, it
would make sense for an employer to consider about the unpredictable
physical consequences of pregnancy and the ensuing professional
changes, right? Not so.

As the article contends, what male employers
may deem common sense is tantamount to misunderstanding and defying
the law. At the end of the day, women have the legal right to become
pregnant professionals despite the physiological changes males can
avoid entirely.