A Pregnant Pause

Work Wednesday

Guest post by Peggy B. Hu

I've been mulling over a brief conversation I had recently with a grocery store cashier. As she was ringing up my purchases, the cashier was chatting with a co-worker who was complaining that she had just been allowed to go on break — 45 minutes before her shift was due to end. What kind of break was that, she asked? 

Continuing her complaint, the co-worker told my clerk that she was pregnant and said she believed she was entitled to more frequent breaks as her condition progressed.  My cashier said she would be interested in knowing the store's guidelines herself. Turning to me, my clerk said that she, too, was pregnant!

I was startled this stranger had told me such a personal fact, and for a few seconds I didn't know what to say. Eventually I offered her my congratulations and commented that it probably would be hard to stand around all day if I were pregnant, particularly during the third trimester. The clerk said she wished she had a desk job just so she could sit down.

Hoping I wasn't saying something insensitive, I told her that I was very lucky I have a job that doesn't require standing. In fact, I was put on bedrest the entire second half of my pregnancy to prevent premature labor and delivery. Because of the nature of my job, though, I was able to continue working from home on a laptop – lying down the whole time – until a week or two before my due date.

Since that encounter at the store, I've been thinking about how fortunate I was to work as a highly paid writer-editor for the federal government when I was pregnant rather than as a cashier, factory worker, waitress or other job that requires standing all day. As a career federal employee, I have a lot of protections. I have a wide variety of health insurance plans from which to choose, and I cannot be denied coverage due to any pre-existing condition. I am guaranteed a daily 45-minute lunch break, as well as two shorter breaks during the day, and I earn set amounts of vacation time and sick leave every pay period.

Most importantly, I cannot be let go from my job due to a pregnancy or other medical condition. Even if a reorganization or some other situation eliminated my position altogether, the human resources department would be obligated to help me find another one in the government at the same salary.

In contrast, many lower-paying jobs are much less family-friendly. As my cashier's co-worker complained, she did not have control over when she could take breaks to rest. Federal law says nothing about giving pregnant women breaks; in fact the Department of Labor’s Pregnancy FAQ specifically says, "The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not require breaks or meal periods be given to workers."

Many women who work as cashiers, waitresses and other positions dubbed "unskilled labor" also do so part-time. Few part-time employees even get paid vacation, sick leave or maternity leave. Although the Family and Medical Leave Act allows people to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for a medical condition (such as one requiring bedrest) or to care for a newborn, it says nothing about being paid during that time. If a pregnant, minimum-wage worker had to go on bedrest, as I did, how would she be able to make ends meet? What would happen if she needed to take more than 12 weeks of leave; would she lose her job? Lastly, after a minimum-wage worker has a baby, how can she afford child care to keep working?

Why does my job not only pay better than my cashier's but also offer so many more protections and benefits for pregnant women?  It just doesn't seem fair.

Peggy B. Hu works for pay as a copy editor and occasional writer for the U.S. Department of State. She is also the volunteer webmaster for the D.C. chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association, a piano player and the mother of a son who recently turned 7.

Comments

[Christina Hopkins]

I find this interesting I work ten hour days on my feet with no breaks! I am 6 months pregnant. Not only do I not get breaks but they take 30 min a day from my paycheck and not give that break to me! I don't mind working hard like the other ladys but I am starting to weigh alot more,feel light headed and would like to each lunch sitting and not jamming it into my throat so I can get back to work! I also have heart disease! I am not wanting someone to bend over for me I just need to sit and catch my breath or get a drink of water or go pee! lol Thank you for your time.