Maternity Penalty?

In this, my ninth vacation post / article, I want to discuss maternity leaves in the workplace, from what I have observed in India.? This is just my opinion and observation; I do not in any way claim these to be the wholesome and conclusive truth.

What they say?

Although numerous organisations commendably advocate for robust maternal policies, the ground reality differs a little. Throughout my career, I have heard statements like below from some managers and coworkers; naturally, these have not occurred in formal meetings, but rather at informal get-togethers over tea, beer, or coffee.

• Nay we can not hire her. Did you not hear - she will be going on maternity leaves just N months after joining our firm?
• Oh no Man! She's going to start her maternity leaves. I'll be hit by everything. I might have to discuss this with my manager.
• She spent six months on maternity leave. In order to maintain team spirit and maybe pass that rating along to the other guys who put in a lot of effort on her behalf, we will have to assign her an average rating?
• I totally understand? that she took a maternity leave. But hey is the fact: there was work to be done, this being a business setting. She just didn't work for six months, which is acceptable and she could not; the team completed the task instead. She cannot therefore receive a rating that is comparable to or higher than others, right?

(In case you think these are myths - Please refer the article on Economic times about the Aon Survey and Maternity Penalty.)

Why they say?

To a working mother this may sound outrageous outright, but there is some truth in each of the statements above. Imagine a situation when a team is already short-staffed and one of the important female resources—who also happens to be a highly efficient—announces that she is going to take maternity leave. Naturally, the other team members may be under some stress because of it. Some would have to work above their allotted hours in order to cover for the female employee. It should be noted that although she took a lengthy leave of absence from the company, management will not permit you to hire a new resource in place of her. Therefore, the same task will be divided among reduced employees.

Rather than working 8 hours every workday, remaining team members can end up working 9 hours. Alternatively, in a team of eight or nine, it might take 8.5 hours per resource if the workload is evenly and effectively split. They arrive home later than usual, which could potentially affect their work-life balance let’s say. Why these overworking resources won’t get a better rating / raise? than her?

Therefore, all of the assertions are accurate in terms of ground reality, aren’t they?

Is that true?

Let's take a step back. What makes a woman give birth? That's possibly a really stupid question, but hold on while we consider it. Because human beings—that is, both males and females—are genetically predisposed to reproduce. No, this isn't solely or even primarily a sexual urge. It is the survival instinct. They can change careers, quit their current ones, work hard labour, or engage in farming, but they will never compromise on the fundamental drive to spread out and live on through their progeny. Naturally, there are very few exceptions. Therefore, humanity has done, doing? and will continue to do this. Overall, society will carry on in this way.?

Let's dress up one couple as a test case for this concept, and you eventually see that progressively spreading across the entire population.?

The purpose of jobs and corporations is to employ people and so that all earn their livelihoods. A policy such as, "Hey Bread Earners, Welcome aboard. However promise that? you won’t reproduce or even if you do, You would not take parental leaves," cannot be implemented by an organisation. Oh Yes - It is possible if we evolve to a utopian / dystopian society as mentioned in the novel ’Brave New World’? by Aldous Huxley where no Uterus / Mother is involved in the process of reproduction. It is all through machines.?

Reproduction and parental leaves are therefore indispensable.?

The second point is this: Should the woman who took the maternity leave be penalised for it? Should the word "penalty" seem too? negative to you, will the aforementioned statements still be true?

Those claims may be true if we have short sight, which we frequently have. However, if we look a little farther, beyond our cubicle of our own needs, we see that a woman giving birth is doing more than just extending ‘her family’. Tomorrow that baby is going to grow up and be a visionary leader in this industry or another or become a? day labour or a scoundrel ; whatever it is, the offspring is going be a building block of this very society to sustain and continue what you are doing right now.?

Hence while as a remaining team member you are busy giving an extra hour to write more code or shuffle more files or juggle around more meetings, the woman is painfully creating one of ‘You’s. In the existential stream of this life, that is far far more critical than what you are doing in her temporary absence.?

Thus, it may be argued that she is not entirely on leave, but rather that her leave has an indirect impact on the development of society, of which corporation is but a subset and cannot exist without. Why, therefore, should her compensation,? rise, or promotion? be halted for that?

Does this imply that I am being totally blind about the performance or the work-life balance of the diligent team members who cover her? Not at all. That burden can undoubtedly be reduced with careful planning: For instance, knowledge decentralisation ahead of time prior to taking a maternity leave and arranging a temporary backup by contacting another team may be possible. However, it should be seen as normal if the remaining resources are still having to extend more.

It's not altruism. Even if you may argue, “The root of the branch I am standing on is a greater branch and not the root in the ground and hence why should I be worried about that” it is your responsibility to water the plant irrespective of whichever branch you are standing on. Metaphorically, the tree is the society as a whole. Tomorrow any of the remaining team member may be a parent : if not in this team/ organisation? in another team / organisation and that in turn impacts the whole tree.?

Given that the mother had not worked for six months, should she now receive an average or worse rating??

No, Madams/Sir! Consider the six months that she worked after or before the break. Throughout the year, distribute the projection.

Conclusion:

Because of this, motherhood entails not just the mother's but also society's obligation for ensuring that her "creation" survives and thrives. She cannot be treated unfairly on the basis of so called "practical grounds."

These are the opinions based on the vantage points I have stood upon throughout. I know, it's easier said than done, and I realise that like many other topics this too stands in "Grey Area"— rather than simple Black and White.

Having said that, I have also seen a lot of amazing managers and coworkers who have treated the expecting women on their team like their own sisters and have never once voiced any complaints. It has been my honour to work in these teams as well. Fortunately, they serve as excellent role models.

What opinions do you have?

- Kamal