After announcing my very much planned pregnancy at work I was shocked by the
response of the most senior leader of the organisation. In a one to one meeting
about work when I was about 13 weeks pregnant she raised the topic of my pregnancy
and asked me what my plans were for maternity leave. She said that my pregnancy
explained a lot as I had been in her opinion under performing a month earlier. This
was not the case and had nothing to do with my pregnancy, I had just been suffering
immense stress at the time and so was upset that she attributed this to my
pregnancy. She also asked me whether I had planned the pregnancy, stating that I was
very young to be having children. I told her with regards to my leave that I wished
to take 9 months maternity leave plus some annual leave and would be returning full
time. She made accusatory comments about being a working mother, and said I should
think carefully about the impact it would have on the organisation if I took all the
leave I was entitled to. She said it was very costly for an organisation to employ
someone on maternity leave. She also asked me about my childcare arrangements and
made comments about how expensive childcare was, insinuating that I couldn’t afford
it on my salary. I was so taken aback with her remarks that I spoke to another
director in confidence about what she had said. I was advised not to do anything or
take it further because it would make my working relationship with her difficult and
she would undoubtedly deny that she had said those things in the way that I had
interpreted them. There was no doubt in my mind her intentions when she struck up
that conversation. I regret not doing anything more at the time as I have since been
made redundant when my maternity leave came to an end.