Iâve been with the same company for three years, and I actually love my job and my team. But when I found out I was pregnant, the attitude suddenly changed. My manager started talking in a suggestive manner, asking âhow do you think youâll continue after your pregnancy?â as if itâs already decided. Iâm constantly being left out of projects, and I noticed I havenât even been invited to team meetings. Do you think I should address the issue directly or stay quiet and just wait until after the birth?
I experienced the same thing; when someone gets pregnant in our company, everyone goes into âavoiding workâ mode, so they would completely exclude her. When I was taken off projects, I went to HR, and they said, âthis isnât a family company.â But I kept records and gathered evidence with emails. I think you should do the same, and then if necessary, you can pursue legal action.
Your spouse has said âdonât say a word,â but I think itâs the opposite. If you stay silent, theyâll completely overlook you. You need to advocate for your maternity rights to secure your position. For example, just ask your direct manager, âWhy am I being sidelined from projects?â
It seems like thereâs a labor law issue here. If they make a dismissal on the grounds of pregnancy, it would be considered discrimination and would violate the Labor Law. Make sure to document things like being removed from the project or not being invited to meetings in writing. If the bullying continues, you can contact the Ministry of Laborâs Alo 170 hotline.
By the way, let me add that the managerâs comment about âpost-pregnancyâ bothers me even more. It seems like Iâm guaranteed to be unemployed after giving birth. Wouldnât it be difficult to prove mobbing in order to file a lawsuit?
Consult a labor law attorney immediately. Request in writing via email to inquire about being excluded from the project or not being called to the meeting. Ask questions like, âWhat was the reason for the meeting?â or âWhy was I removed from the project?â You can use these emails as evidence if you need to go to labor court.
What theyâre doing is a direct violation of rights. They disregard your efforts and use your pregnancy as an excuse. Both public conscience and the legal system clearly do not accept this attitude. You need to stand strong, taking ownership of your work and your child; this is their misguided management approach.
So many suggestions have been written, but no one has questioned the issue of the spouse. I mean, having your partner say âtheyâll eat you upâ is inherently disempowering. Why are they scaring you even more instead of offering support? With that kind of reasoning, everyone would stay silent, and those who commit injustices would do as they please. In the long term, it will be difficult to cope with this state of mind.