Getting a job whilst pregnant? Not likely, right?

The journey of motherhood, while joyous, is often fraught with obstacles when it intersects with a woman's professional life. Pregnancy discrimination, despite being illegal in many jurisdictions, still lurks in the job market shadows. However, in this climate, numerous beacon companies are paving the way for change by embracing mothers and championing their rights.

And Careers For Purpose has worked with one recently. Catalina Consultants. 

Bee's Story...

Teresa Romanovsky, founder of Careers for Purpose, headhunted a candidate during the winter of 2022. The candidate, Bhauna 'Bee' Singh, was heavily pregnant and due to start her maternity leave in the following 2 months, information she volunteered to Teresa straight away, assuming that her client wouldn’t be interested. However, this didn’t deter Teresa and she presented Bee to her client - Bee was motivated to start a new role upon completing her maternity leave and ticked so many boxes for her capability to do the role it didn’t make sense to not present her. Catalina Consultants, a female-owned HR consulting firm, was not phased by Bee's new addition, so they started the interview process immediately to ensure a good fit for the company's future plans and to accommodate Bee with her transition to motherhood and the long lead time. They conducted a series of interviews, pre and post the birth of Bee’s baby and discovered she was a perfect fit for them. Bee received an offer, and the company confirmed her start day for March 2023. Bee has started her role two days a week and will increase to five days as soon as practicable, accommodating the realities of a working parent. 

Whilst this example won’t suit every company, where the hiring need may be immediately critical, Catalina Consultants was in a position to forward plan for Bee’s onboarding, recognising that the long term impact of hiring her, as opposed to not hiring her, outweighed the timeline needed to onboard and scale her up.

Bee was “slightly surprised and thrilled” that she would be considered, saying “I had the preconception that I would not be a consideration”. 

Whilst Australian federal and state laws legally protect pregnant women from discrimination in the workplace, research from job posting site Indeed found that almost a quarter of job seekers wouldn't reveal their pregnancy to a potential employer during the recruitment process or upon receiving a job offer, contrasted with 78 per cent of male and 65 per cent of female employers who want a pregnancy disclosed in the early stages of recruitment. Women don't legally have to disclose their pregnancy unless they work in high-risk environments. In this instance, Bee volunteered this information immediately, saying “I felt that transparency is a great foundation for building a new relationship, if this was something that wasn’t embraced then I would know it wasn’t about my skill set and my capability.”

How an employer reacts to the news would give mothers-to-be a good insight into the workplace culture. Employers focused on recruiting the right talent for the role will assess each candidate based on their cultural fit, skills and experience rather than their pregnancy stage of life. When Teresa approached her client, she wanted to be honest in an unequivocal way. Bee had considered all the implications of being a new mother and childcare provider, emergency procedures and how she would juggle her newborn and work in a new role. Bee wanted to continue her career and earning capacity and embrace the opportunity; she made a plan for her leave period and integration into the company showing her new employer that she was constructive, efficient, had realistic expectations and was ready to commit. 

Bee says, during the recruitment process, employers should, “Have a discussion about what return to work will look like, for some they may not know exactly how it will be, but it’s a great way to understand what the candidate may want or need even if it is preliminary discussions”. Having at least some plan and expectations mapped out will ensure both employer and employee can meet their obligations.

Unfortunately, many women face pregnancy discrimination even during the interview process. If a woman feels like she is being asked invasive or leading questions or is not hired because she is pregnant, she is within her rights to claim discrimination. Employers should refrain from questions relating to a woman's pregnancy unless there are clearly apparent reasons for her abilities, such as safety, within a role. Employers also need to be mindful of why they have chosen not to disclose information; they may have faced prejudices before. 

At Catalina Consulting, Bee says “There is a very open and transparent culture, the business worked with me on my availability as I had to look into care for my kids and it wasn’t easy getting additional days in the middle of the year.  The business has policies in place for flexibility and that has helped as part of the return to work and onboarding process.”

Who is getting it right?

There are some global brands too that are spearheading initiatives to embrace pregnant women and new mums, recognising not just the diversity and inclusion aspects of doing so, but the commercial benefits of hiring the right talent, regardless of their parenthood status.

Patagonia, an outdoor clothing company, host an on-site child care centre for their employees at their US head office, understanding that secure child care is a critical factor affecting working mothers. The company has seen benefits from this investment, with a high rate of mothers returning to work post-childbirth, and increased employee loyalty.

Vodafone takes a global stand on supporting working mothers. They implemented a mandatory minimum maternity policy, offering 16 weeks of fully paid maternity leave to all employees worldwide. On return, new mothers can opt for a reduced work schedule while receiving full pay for the first six months, easing the transition back into the work environment.

And software company, Salesforce, beyond their generous parental leave policy, provides resources for parents like coaching, flexible work hours, and help for parents seeking to adopt children. This inclusive approach illustrates the company's commitment to diverse forms of family-building.

What about in Australia, who is leading the way? 

In Australia we have several large companies leading the way. Frontrunners include QBE Insurance, KPMG, Deloitte, ING Australia, Novartis, and Medibank, all providing versatile, gender-neutral policies along with robust return-to-work schemes.

Deloitte Australia stands out with its removal of caregiver labels, offering 18 weeks of flexible paid leave over 36 months. The company also provides comprehensive transition support, with coaching sessions for parents commencing and returning from leave. Recent policy enhancements include additional support payments and revised performance targets for returning parents, demonstrating a commitment to a smooth reintegration process.

QBE Insurance has pioneered the 'Share The Care' policy, offering equitable paid parental leave to all genders. The uptake of this initiative, particularly among male employees, has been significant, reflecting the company's drive towards a more gender-balanced approach to parental care.

Carer support is a crucial aspect of these policies, with companies like KPMG, PEXA, Workday and Endeavour Energy providing standout provisions. From subsidised childcare and virtual holiday programmes for kids, to emergency care leave and comprehensive insurance, these organisations demonstrate the value of supporting those with caring responsibilities.

Recognising the importance of family wellbeing, organisations like the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) and HESTA have implemented policies addressing sensitive issues like stillbirth, infant loss, parenting-related anxiety and depression, and domestic violence. Microsoft also offers specific neurodiversity support, acknowledging the diverse challenges families face.

What can every company do regardless of their size? 



In practice, not every company can be as generous as the above mentioned behemoth’s, what every company can do, including boutique companies like Catalina Consultants, is embrace the economic benefit of attracting and retaining a diverse workforce, including pregnant and new mums. Business of all shapes and sizes is a long game, and we’ve all got stories of the consequences of poor hiring decisions, often made because the person appeared to be the easiest solution for the short term, rather than the better solution for the long term.