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We need to look closely at the number of pregnant tech workers being laid off right now Chelsey Louise Glasson UX Collective Chelsey Louise Glasson · Following Published in UX Collective · 4 min read · Feb 18, 2024 230 1 A picture of a pregnant woman’s stomach, with the woman’s hands resting on her belly. Photo by Heather Mount on Unsplash After spending nearly three long years entrenched in a legal battle with Google, fighting pregnancy discrimination I both witnessed and experienced, I never thought I’d be sitting where I am today with the perspective that I’m one of the lucky ones. But, as my LinkedIn feed is again saturated with heartbreaking stories of expecting and new moms losing their tech jobs in yet another wave of layoffs, that’s where I find myself today. According to 2022 research conducted by the Bipartisan Policy Center, 20% of working moms in the U.S. report having experienced pregnancy discrimination, which, based on multiple federal laws, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) defines as, “treating women differently, or less favorably, because of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.” The tech industry was still thriving when I was pushed out of Google during maternity leave, pre-pandemic, and I easily landed another job at Facebook. Although the arduous path of suing Google came with many challenges, I prevailed and received a settlement that allowed me to go back to school and pursue an entirely new career as an employment attorney. That’s not a typical happy ending for the steadily increasing number of moms who have shared their stories of being laid off… https://lnkd.in/d6P5QbVX

Returning to work after a long absence. I had a practice run at this with pregnancy leave (14 weeks) and now I'm returning to Meta with just six weeks out. Even that duration is enough to feel overwhelming... BUT I AM READY...! Here's how I plan to chew through the ramp-up in fewer than 10 business days: 1 - Go to email. Select all > mark as read. (Otherwise known as "declaring email bankruptcy.") This retains any important threads while also sparing the artificial dread of a full inbox. If something is very important, it will bubble back up when someone pings the thread. Once you've completed steps 3 - 5, you can circle back here and keywords search your inbox to catch any important context threads. 2 - Go to work chat surface. Click through unread messages in ascending order. Or "select all > mark as read" if applicable. Same idea as email bankruptcy. Retains info and becomes keyword searchable once you've finished steps 3 - 5. 3 - Schedule 1:1 with manager to get up to speed on the most urgent matters. She'll tell you what you missed and flag anything you need to sort out. 4 - Schedule 1:1s with each team member to catch up on team vibes and less-urgent matters. This is really important if teams changed while you were out. When I came back from parental leave, I had an entirely new division and only 1/2 my colleagues still on my team. Even if things had stayed exactly the same, there would still be team culture I fell out of sync with (gossip, new ideas, inside jokes, etc.). Even if a team member has 0 action items for you, this time will help you reconnect and slide back into flow state. 5 - Write down project and people names your manager and team mentions. You then double back to steps 1 and 2 to keyword search. This gets you everything you need to get caught up and NOW you can begin to prioritize! 6 - Ask *everyone* who welcomes you back (even if they are not on your team) how you can help. It can feel weird and needy, and maybe you're not even able to help them. But like with step 4, this little trick will bring you back into culture alignment much more quickly than if you just sit around waiting for people to re-add you to their workplace life.

We need to look closely at the number of pregnant tech workers being laid off right now Chelsey Louise Glasson UX Collective Chelsey Louise Glasson · Following Published in UX Collective · 4 min read · Feb 18, 2024 230 1 A picture of a pregnant woman’s stomach, with the woman’s hands resting on her belly. Photo by Heather Mount on Unsplash After spending nearly three long years entrenched in a legal battle with Google, fighting pregnancy discrimination I both witnessed and experienced, I never thought I’d be sitting where I am today with the perspective that I’m one of the lucky ones. But, as my LinkedIn feed is again saturated with heartbreaking stories of expecting and new moms losing their tech jobs in yet another wave of layoffs, that’s where I find myself today. According to 2022 research conducted by the Bipartisan Policy Center, 20% of working moms in the U.S. report having experienced pregnancy discrimination, which, based on multiple federal laws, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) defines as, “treating women differently, or less favorably, because of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.” The tech industry was still thriving when I was pushed out of Google during maternity leave, pre-pandemic, and I easily landed another job at Facebook. Although the arduous path of suing Google came with many challenges, I prevailed and received a settlement that allowed me to go back to school and pursue an entirely new career as an employment attorney. That’s not a typical happy ending for the steadily increasing number of moms who have shared their stories of being laid off… https://lnkd.in/djcS9emc

I’m honored to be quoted in this insightful piece by Pavithra Mohan in Fast Company, which explores the impact of tech industry layoffs on pregnant women and new moms—this isn't an aberration. The article sheds light on the challenges faced and calls for necessary protections for these vulnerable groups. A must-read for anyone interested in workplace equality and AI's role in layoff decisions, which, in my view, negatively impact new moms more insidiously than human decisions alone, although human decisions alone are bad enough for pregnant women, who need greater proactive protections. #WorkplaceEquality #PregnancyDiscrimination #AI

Hiring in a rush often leads to challenges down the road. 🕐 Instead of filling a role out of urgency, invest time in finding someone who aligns with your values and culture. The right fit will bring positive energy and stability to your team—qualities that can’t be rushed. 🌟 #ChildCareGenius #HireSmart #ChildCareLeadership #TeamBuilding

Microsoft Corporation has agreed to pay $14 million to settle claims by the California Civil Rights Department that it unlawfully penalized employees who took medical or family-care leave. The allegations included retaliation against California-based workers using parental, disability, pregnancy, and family-care leave since 2017, affecting their career advancement opportunities. Although Microsoft denied wrongdoing, the settlement aims to resolve a multiyear investigation, providing relief to affected employees and implementing measures to prevent future discrimination. This includes hiring an independent consultant to review company policies and providing training to managers and HR personnel. #Microsoft #LeaveDiscrimination #CaliforniaCivilRights #EmployeeRights #SettlementNews #HRPolicies #CxONews #CxOGlobalForum

I'm in a unique phase - two months post-layoff from IntelyCare, and just three weeks away from welcoming a new addition to our family. It's a balancing act, navigating job searches while anticipating the arrival of our second little one. Recently, thanks to a tag from Melanie Mathews, I discovered The Labor Club - a community of women who, like me, have experienced unexpected job transitions during pregnancy or postpartum. It's eye-opening to see how many others have faced similar challenges and had to navigate the job hunt with added considerations like health needs and parental leave in a highly competitive labor market. While it's been nerve-wracking at times, knowing I'm not alone in this journey has been incredibly empowering. I firmly believe that what is meant for me will find its way at the right time. In the meantime, I'm giving myself the grace to focus on my well-being and family, knowing this period is temporary. Proceeding with applications and interviews while caring for a newborn will undoubtedly be a challenge, but I'm no stranger to multitasking. After all, being a mom is the ultimate test of multitasking skills! To anyone else facing a stressful career transition or job search, remember: you're not alone. My advice is that connection and support are key during challenging times. Stay positive, stay connected, and keep pushing forward! All we can do is give our best each day - whatever that looks like. #layoffs #laidoffpregnant #maternalhealth #workingmoms #jobhunt

You need your first full-time job ASAP 👀💗↓ You commit to the selection process of any difficulty and say ‘yes’ to multiple questionnaires, assessments, and tests. But if the employers ask questions that could potentially lead to your discrimination on the basis of specified attributes, do you agree to proceed on? → race → religion → family status → salary history → gender identity → pregnancy/planning pregnancy/post-pregnancy period NOT LIMITED TO THOSE ONLY Great If you’re provided with an option to skip those questions as if 'not applicable to my candidacy'. Yet it will open the door for many assumptions because those questions were a part of the screening process approved by a particular employer for a reason. Right? It’s a red flag. It’s a run for the hills reminder. It’s a ‘you-don’t-want-to-work-here’ sign (at least for me). P.S. Stay strong! Let’s spread consideration, kindness, and support!  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hey, I’m Kris  👄  I’m spillin’ the tea on early careers in tech.   💌  Follow + connect to catch all the juicy bits!  #jobsearch #hiring

There are two major mistakes that can demotivate employees from returning after parental leave. Drawing from my experience with various companies, I highlight these mistakes in the video and offer my insights on how to avoid them. Have you noticed any other pitfalls? Share your thoughts in the comments! 🫶🏻 If you want to see more such content, welcome to the Spotlight community on YouTube ▶️ https://lnkd.in/dTDW83qx