Support Your Pregnant Employees

By Kaylee J. Hackney?for Harvard Business Review | January 19, 2022

As a manager, you’re in a unique position to support your pregnant employees and to make sure pregnancy discrimination doesn’t happen in your workplace. Start by familiarizing yourself with your company’s parental benefits. That way, you're always prepared to lay out the resources available when an employee tells you they're pregnant. Be sure to maintain an open dialogue about what types of support your employee needs throughout their pregnancy. And never make assumptions about what they want. For example, don’t presume your pregnant employee wants a reduced workload; this might not be the case. If they request flexible work arrangements — such as remote work and flextime to accommodate visits to the doctor or other needs — normalize the mindset that these arrangements are rights, not privileges. And finally, following the employee’s lead and respecting their preferences, do your best to facilitate supportive interactions between your employee and their coworkers. It’s important that you aren’t the only one creating a positive environment for the employee.