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.