The Curse of Motherhood
When Shweta Raj (name changed) learned that she was pregnant at the age of 34, she never imagined her motherhood would bring with it litigation and endless court dates.
Shweta was a software engineer at one of the most 'progressive' IT firms in India. The kind of company which posts online about diversity and inclusivity, encouraging dialogue and generally one of the most sought-after IT company in Asia.
Shweta had worked here for almost 5 years. She was a senior team leader with an impeccable record. She was highly recommended by her bosses and her employees for an upcoming promotion, she never said no to any trip abroad, she was up till 4 a.m. perfecting the pitches or taking care of a bug in a code. She was a model employee.
Until she got pregnant.
Then she became 'lazy', 'difficult', 'hormonal' and a laughing stock.
The shift in behavior was so sudden and hostile that it sent Shweta reeling. She had been coming to my centre for a pre-maternity counselling workshop and then booked a personal appointment with my senior psychologist.
During her sessions, her emotions came out unfettered: the amount of discrimination she was facing was immense and in this state it would have been a herculean task to ask her to remain centered, yet she was a resilient lady and with our support, she managed to keep herself from fragmenting.
Every day she had to combat comments such as "Enjoy your paid vacation" referring to her maternity leave to "This is the highlight of feminism, lol, you think I'd get 5 months off if I got a huge enough dump to give birth to"- said by her General District Manager. Everyday she was accused of coming in late to work if she punched in at 9:15 rather than 9:00, even though the company had a 20-minute grace period policy. Her co-workers commented on her increased bathroom usage!
Her bosses called her in almost every three days and scrutinized her work with a precision microscope, digging up the smallest of non-issues and writing up her arguments as 'insubordination' and 'hostile behaviour'.
Even when she had applied for her maternity leave 4 months ago, she wasn't granted it until her 8th month, when she was in physical distress and unable to move due to her difficult pregnancy.
Two months after her son's delivery, she got a formal letter from her company firing her.
It is illegal to fire a pregnant woman in India, before or after delivery.
As she ran from pillar to post while dealing with an infant, she realized her fight is not the only one.
Even as the Indian law has made provisions for women employees to avail multiple benefits under the maternity act, including full knowledge about the maternity act, pre and post delivery paid leave, creche facility in the offices, etc. the reality is not as rosy.
Female employees are seen as a liability once they get married or have a child. None of this discrimination is faced by the male employees, neither are they asked inquisitive and offensive questions during their interviews.
One of the new missions my company has taken is to introduce transition and sensitivity training sessions for corporates. I won't lie and say it's been an amazing journey so far and everyone is now going to live happily ever after.
There have been obstacles I have never imagined. Even from other female employees who have been programmed to believe that the ones availing maternity benefits are 'enjoying' an undue advantage. Through intensive therapies, in-depth workshops and coping mechanisms, I can see the four companies we're working with, make great albeit slow progress.
But, it is not as bad in major companies across the world and in India.
Many researchers have found that replacing a pregnant employee or a new mother can cost a company anywhere between 90 - 150 % of the existing employee's salary and investment. The rate of women leaving the workforce falls by 50 % when presented with sustainable maternity leave, ensuring that brilliant, qualified women continue to be assets for the company. By supporting maternity leaves, companies create a long lasting positive impact in worker relations. As my experience in corporate training has found the more valuable and productive an employee feels is how much they give back to the company.
Maternity leave also is good not just for one business but for the entire economy of a country. As found by one report, "expanding paid leave can have an economy-wide benefit, including reduced government spending on public assistance and increased labor force participation." In the United States, gross domestic product (GDP) could be increased by five percent if women's labor force participation rate was equal to that of men. In other countries, that increase jumps to 30 percent.
IBM has found that investing in a longer maternity leave gives them access to the best talent in the industry- when they give out incentives that are more than monetary; they have the ability to attract talent which would otherwise be left out of the workforce.
What's the way for India to move forward? To continue to encourage highly qualified and intelligent women- and to create long lasting, impactful relations with employees.
I would like to end by saying, its time that companies start to move away from being penny wise and pound foolish, and embrace the forward thinking agendas that keep women in the workforce.
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