Pregnancy and Employment: A Literature Review - Crisis Pregnancy ...

Pregnancy and Employment: A Literature Review
4.4 Conclusion
In this chapter we have examined evidence on the cost of time out of the labour market around the time of
childbearing on women’s subsequent occupational position and earnings. It is clear from the research across a
range of countries that a quicker return and, especially, resumption of employment with the previous employer
are very important factors in avoiding deterioration in working conditions. Coverage by maternity/parental-leave
legislation is crucial in this respect. Women who did not qualify for job-protected leave, either because they failed
to meet eligibility requirements or because universal policies were not in place, were more likely to experience
long breaks in employment and were thus vulnerable to downward occupational mobility on their return to work
and also to lower earnings. The evidence of occupational downgrading is strongest in studies of women who
have spent a long period out of the labour market and among women who moved employer. The review of return
decisions in Chapter 3 highlighted that it is women with higher educational and labour-market resources who are
likely to return more quickly to employment. This has led a number of commentators to suggest that experiences
around childbirth lead to a polarisation of women in the labour market (McRae, 1993; Macran et al, 1996). Research
in Britain suggests that transitions from full-time to part-time work that involved employer moves were particularly
detrimental to occupational status and earnings. The initial descriptive statistics outlined in chapter 1 highlight that
many women in Ireland take up part-time work when they have children. If the reduction in hours that mothers
desire can be facilitated without moving employers then women are much less likely to experience these negative
outcomes.
The figures from statistical analyses of pay gaps both between men and women and between mothers and nonmothers
suggest that significant penalties are attached to having accumulated less work experience and to having
spent time out of the labour market. Previous research by Russell et al (2002) suggests that a number of supports
are needed for women who take longer periods of leave to care for children if they are to avoid serious declines in
job status. These supports include access to retraining and skills refresher courses on an equal footing with other
job seekers: the provision of more flexible training options; employer strategies for successful reintegration, such
as mentoring, and improved access to information (Russell et al, 2002).
The importance of maintaining the link with the previous employer for post-birth outcomes underlines the
importance of ensuring that pregnant women are given access to the rights they are entitled to under law. The
description of discriminatory behaviour outlined in Chapter 2 often points to a denial of these rights, which may
have long-term career consequences for women.
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