Expectant mothers are winning high-powered positions; 'I never
turn down an opportunity'
By Joann S. Lublin
This article is being republished as part of our daily
reproduction of WSJ.com articles that also appeared in the U.S.
print edition of The Wall Street Journal (July 11, 2019).
Many women figure that expecting a better job while expecting a
baby remains a far-fetched fantasy. Yet mothers-to-be are putting
themselves up for promotions and getting hired into leadership
across technology, media, restaurants, banking and advertising.
The women typically land their new managerial posts by making
sure their stellar records and work commitment aren't in question,
according to executive coaches, recruiters and their employers.
These female leaders say they work hard to ensure the impact of
their leave is minimal, and companies involved say that sometimes
parenting has to take precedence.
The pregnant women's selection reflects strong demand for star
players and expanded family-friendly benefits. Online crafts
marketplace Etsy Inc., which offers a relatively high 26 weeks of
paid parental leave, says it has recruited or promoted about 40
pregnant staffers since 2013. Also, women with high-powered
positions often can more easily afford high-quality child care.
"Expectant women often are well established in their careers
these days, " says Allison Robinson, chief executive officer of The
Mom Project, a job marketplace that aims to connect companies with
female talent. "So, pregnancy cannot be a limiting factor if
employers want to hire and retain women for key management
roles."
Alarice Lonergan, an International Business Machines Corp.
executive, won a promotion shortly before the birth of each of her
two daughters. She initially advanced to associate partner of IBM's
management consulting unit in 2015.
"I had established myself well," the 15-year IBM veteran says.
"Taking a new challenge was within my reach." She resumed work
following a 13-week maternity leave.
IBM elevated Ms. Lonergan again last year -- this time to
partner. Her promotion took effect three months before she took off
18 weeks to have her younger daughter. Now pregnant again, she
would consider another promotion before her son arrives this
November.
"I never turn down an opportunity," Ms. Lonergan says.
Ambitious women should pursue better jobs while pregnant because
"it is getting better and easier," says Kayti Sullivan, a senior
vice president and general manager at Yelp Inc. who put her hand up
to be in charge of its sales and operational teams two months
before she gave birth in late February.
"Being promoted during my latest pregnancy certainly felt like a
nonissue," she says. Ms. Sullivan says she sought the broader
position because she aspires to be a chief operating officer or CEO
someday. Her 14-week parental leave ended in June, she says,
adding, "I didn't miss a beat."
Allegations of discrimination against pregnant women persist
even though U.S. law bans such treatment. Many women are demoted or
assigned lesser duties when they are expecting, and some are even
dismissed, work-bias experts say. About 72% of the 148
pregnancy-bias lawsuits filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission during the past decade alleged that employers unlawfully
fired women when they disclosed their pregnancy. The EEOC brought
19 pregnancy suits in its latest fiscal year, up from 14 during the
prior year.
Sales executive Ashley Berg sued BMF Media Group LLC this
winter, claiming that her pregnancy announcement led the
brand-marketing firm to withdraw her recent promotion abruptly.
"No woman should ever have to choose between receiving the job
promotion she had worked hard to earn and becoming pregnant," a
filing with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of
New York says. The suit was settled this month, and attorneys for
both sides declined to comment.
Some employers are trying harder to pave the way for expectant
women to progress. Amanda Horne, a regional manager for Bright
Horizons Family Solutions, the largest U.S. provider of
employer-sponsored child care, says her boss already knew she was
pregnant when she encouraged the child-care-center director to
apply for a regional-manager opening. Three other colleagues who
interviewed Ms. Horne for the promotion also have children. None
expressed qualms about her pregnancy or parental duties crimping
her performance, she says.
Ms. Horne ascended to regional manager shortly before she
delivered her daughter in the fall of 2017. She was granted
permission to skip an out-of-town company conference scheduled for
the same week she resumed work in January 2018.
Pregnant executives say they strive to earn credibility quickly
with colleagues. Kate Railton joined Toronto-based startup
Rubikloud Technologies Inc. as vice president of people in April
2018. She says she aimed to get "everything moving as fast as
possible" because she planned a one-year maternity leave following
the June 2018 birth of her second son. Among other things, she
toiled evenings and weekends to find a second-in-command before
taking off.
Weeks after giving birth, she made a board presentation by
videoconference from home -- with her newborn on her lap. She also
consulted for Rubikloud an average of five hours a week during her
leave.
"I have had no dead time," says the human-resources executive.
She returned from leave July 2.
Ms. Railton's boss, Rubikloud CEO Kerry Liu, said that "choosing
Kate for a key role during her pregnancy persuaded us to expand
work-life balance programs sooner than most startups." He added:
"Our culture is better for it in the long run."
Write to Joann S. Lublin at joann.lublin@wsj.com
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