How to Tell if you’re A Victim of Pregnancy Discrimination?

Women may experience some downsides of pregnancy, including morning sickness and fatigue, but no one should endure pregnancy discrimination on the job. If you’re discriminated against because you’re pregnant or going on medical leave, you could be entitled to file a legal claim with a pregnancy discrimination lawyer.

If you see any of the troubling signs below at your workplace when talking about your pregnancy, talk to an attorney today.

You’re Singled Out for Criticism

If you’ve worked in the world for long, you know that bosses can be jerks sometimes. That’s not illegal. However, if you are singled out for a lot of criticism after managers find out you’re pregnant, pay attention. You could be getting discriminated against.

Increased Criticism

If you were a successful employee for three years, got great reviews and feedback from your superiors, and you see an increase of negative feedback suddenly, this could be a sign.

Jokes about Getting Work Done

Handling the physical issues of pregnancy can sometimes be challenging. But depending on the job, you can often take the load without anything changing.

But if your supervisor makes comments about being able to keep up, it’s something to note, especially when it involves medical conditions related to pregnancy. Your boss might say these things lightly, but managers should know that this is treacherous territory they’re walking. Supervisors shouldn’t make these comments to a pregnant woman at work.

You don’t get that Raise

Have you been waiting for a raise for the past year? And then time passes when you could have gotten a bump in your paycheck? Sometimes, pregnancy discrimination can be more about what doesn’t happen than what happens.

For instance, maybe you talked about a bonus or raise with your manager before telling them you were pregnant. But that talk stops after they found out. If a connection can be proven, that’s illegal.

Nothing in your Inbox

Have you seen a drop in the number of new assignments? How about fewer emails? If you’re usually on a vital email list but aren’t on it anymore, this could be workplace exclusion.

The employer probably knows that they cannot fire you because that’s actionable. However, they can just shift work away from you, which can leave you bored to tears. Worse, they could be trying to get you to quit. Even if you stay on, the lack of work can affect your prospects.

Nothing on your Calendar

Similar to no email, suddenly seeing no invites to meetings could be a warning sign. To be fair, some changes in this area could be innocent, such as meetings that will occur while you’re on leave. But if you have regular meetings that suddenly exclude you, take note.

No Promotion Talk

Silence can be hard to interpret. But if you see that a possible promotion you heard about isn’t mentioned anymore, there could be problems.

No Continuing Education

Does it feel like you’re no longer considered necessary for continuing education? This could be discrimination; every employee should be considered for additional training to provide more skills related to their job. If you get sidestepped for training, it could affect your long-term career.

No Invites to Social Events

Are your co-workers invited to social and networking opportunities? Some of these might be ‘informal’ after-work events, such as drinks with the bosses. But if they are suddenly excluding you, it’s time to pay attention.

Summary

Remember that some of the warnings mentioned above could simply be attempts to make your load lighter during your pregnancy. It could be people just trying to help you, even if their ‘help’ is inappropriate. So, don’t panic.

Instead, take note of any of these signs in a journal, which can be used later if needed in litigation. Then, talk to your managers about the incidents and the employees involved.

If a calm, low-key talk isn’t helpful, you could need to talk to supervisors and the HR department. You could’ve experienced pregnancy discrimination.