Maternity leave it out?

Should you go straight into a job and demand maternity leave? No, argues Helena Frith Powell

If Labour wins the election the shadow works and pensions secretary Rachel Reeves says she would like to join the new cabinet before she goes on maternity leave for three months. Good for her, I hear you say. But is it really fair of her to expect to be promoted just before she gives birth? To me it smacks slightly of ‘I want the job, but I won’t be able to do it’. I know this is the age of multi-tasking and having it all, but surely even women can’t be expected to take on a job we won’t be around to do?

Who does it really help if Ms Reeves joins the cabinet only to leave minutes later? Certainly not the new government. Extrapolate the example to the private sector and the ramifications are just as serious. I know one CEO who was looking for a new finance director. After weeks of interviews, it came down to two finalists; a man and a woman. He gave the job to the woman. Three months later she announced she was six months pregnant and would soon be going on maternity leave. It was a disaster, as the company was about to launch an IPO. They had to delay it until she was back. Needless to say, the CEO bitterly regretted his decision and says it has put him off hiring women. Another (female) employer friend of a friend tells the story of her second in command whom she promoted above another female colleague. Almost immediately after the promotion she told her boss that she was pregnant, but hadn’t mentioned it because she didn’t want to ruin her chances of being promoted to the bigger job. You can see where she’s coming from, but as the employer says, she would have had much more respect for her if she’d told her the truth and probably promoted her on the strength of her honesty alone. Even though she is now back from maternity leave and doing a great job, she finds it hard to trust her.

Women who go for promotions or new jobs when they’re pregnant without being honest are ruining things for the rest of us, as are women who think they are entitled to a job they are not going to be around to do. If you’re good enough to be promoted, then go for it when you (and your newborn baby) are ready for the challenge, and don’t just grab it because you’re worried you’ll lose out if you don’t. Apart from anything else, experience in parenting is perfect preparation for senior roles. Once you’ve brought up an offspring or two, managing a team of adults seems like child’s play.