I work for the police. I confided in my supervisor who supported me wholeheartedly. I told him that when I told my line manager I was worried that I would be moved from my current acquisitive crime role to domestics because women were seen as ‘unfit’ to complete their same role once pregnant, bar a few jobs for safety reasons. He said this wouldn’t happen to me. I told him it has happened to every pregnant female in the office.
3 days later I was moved to….. You guessed it, domestics. Because I was too much of a risk now, apparently. There were office roles that I could have continued doing in my old role, but no.
When I return I won’t be part of my old team, as I can only return part time. Part time mums are always overlooked for further pursuing their careers, compared to full time colleagues. I have been advised not to put ‘part time’ on job applications for other units, as I won’t get the job.
The organisation still has a long way to go with women trying to have a career and family, and to not discriminate. Most women leave the police after having children, and I’ll be in the same boat at this rate.