Avoiding the “Mommy-Track” Trap
Once you share your news, you may suddenly find yourself on a slow road to nowhere at work — last in the information loop and out of the running for promotions and job advancements you were previously an easy pick for. Goodbye fast track and hello mommy track? Is it unavoidable?
Not necessarily. Employers who realize that a happy employee is more likely to be a productive employee won't punish you for pursuing a personal life. And if you continue to perform well and make it clear to your supervisors that you'd like to have a career path with the company rather than just a job, you're more likely to avoid the so-called mommy track. Still, whether the mommy track exists in your organization or not depends on the corporate culture and the attitudes of upper management. Do they support family-friendly policies? Do they lead by example and make use of benefits like paternity and maternity leave themselves? And are efforts made to institute initiatives that benefit employees across the board, from the security staff to the CEO?
The Ideal Versus the Real
In the real world, some organizations reward those who invest themselves more fully in the workplace than in family. The result is an atmosphere in which pregnancy is construed as a choice against company and career, one that may be tolerated for the sake of political correctness but that certainly isn't supported through policies and reward systems. The good news is that there are family-friendly employers who put their benefits' packages where their mouth is. See where your company lies between these two extremes:
The ideal … a fully equipped lactation facility.
The real … a bathroom stall with a broken lock.
The ideal … paid time off for prenatal appointments.
The real … isn't that what lunch hours are for?
The ideal … expectant mother parking spaces near the entrance.
The real … unless you are a V.I.P., it's first come, first served.
The ideal … a pregnant supervisor to commiserate with.
The real … your bachelor boss is a freshly minted M.B.A. who thinks
The Ideal … a flexible schedule for your unpredictable pregnant body.
The real … don't forget to punch out for bathroom breaks.
The ideal … four months of maternity leave with full pay and benefits.
The real … with luck, that partial disability pay should arrive before your child's first birthday.
Defining Personal and Professional Goals
What do you want out of life, both personally and professionally, now that your family is changing? If this is your first child, it can be hard to fully assess the new direction you're taking. But there are probably some basic decisions you can make with a degree of certainty. For example, late shifts and working double overtime may be out of the picture for you now.
If you work in an environment that isn't healthy for you or your growing baby, talk to your human resources department about a temporary reassignment to a more appropriate position. Jobs that involve chemical exposure, heavy manual labor, or staying on your feet all day with no opportunity for rest should all be reconsidered during pregnancy.
Perhaps you have career goals that you'd like to keep on target. Should they be mutually exclusive of motherhood? No. Might they be, depending on where you work? Yes. If you wanted to move into a supervisory position at your next review but see your company promoting only those who work excessive overtime, you have choices to make. Such is the delicate balance of motherhood. Fortunately, you always have the option to look for a workplace that is more in harmony with your personal and professional goals — or to take your own path, whatever it may be.
Realize Your Value
Think of full-time motherhood as another job offer on the table for your employer to stack up to. Your company could be willing to sweeten the pot with flextime, telecommuting, or other family-friendly working arrangements to keep you happy. Remember, in most cases it has poured a significant amount of money and resources into your training. The loss of that investment plus the cost of hiring and training a new employee is a big financial incentive for keeping you on board. Don't be afraid to rock the boat. Realize your value and use it as a bargaining chip.
Negotiate Toward Your Goal
Think about using your maternity leave as a launching pad for alternative working arrangements. For example, if you would like more than the six weeks of paid leave your company offers and would ultimately like some flexibility in your schedule, suggest a work arrangement like telecommuting for the six weeks following paid leave. If you're covered by the FMLA, your employer must give you twelve weeks off without pay to care for your newborn, if you request it. By offering an alternative to your complete absence, you appear flexible and dedicated, and your employer certainly has nothing to lose by trying such an arrangement. Even if you aren't prepared to take six weeks off unpaid should your employer turn you down, it's well worth the gamble to suggest the idea. You can always scale back your plans if your request isn't granted. And if it is accepted and works out well, you will have proven yourself for handling a more permanent arrangement down the road.
