“I’m PREGNANT And I GOT HIRED.” Woman Shares Huge Win For Working Mothers.

Women have made a lot of progress in the workforce in the last century, but some hurdles still seem insurmountable.

Traditionally, many employers have shied away from hiring an expecting mother. Hiring managers assume pregnant workers will require more time off for doctor’s appointments, not to mention several weeks off for maternity leave, along with a myriad of of other mom-related duties that could make them miss work. Now, it seems times are finally changing!

Anna Franziska Hunger works in the human resources field, so she understands how difficult it can be to interview for a new job while pregnant. When the Lisbon, Portugal mom-to-be interviewed for a Talent & People Operations Partner role at a company called Kaya, she was terrified to mention that she was 6 months pregnant. Hoping to set an example for her young daughter, she decided to come clean during an interview. To her surprise, she got the job!

Anna was so excited and encouraged by this progress that she shared a post on LinkedIn titled “I AM PREGNANT and I GOT HIRED.”

The fact that her new employer was so welcoming and accommodating made her even more excited to join their “progressive thinking” team! Anna’s encouraging post went viral, and hundreds of other working moms celebrated a potential change in the workforce and shared their own stories of getting hired or working while pregnant.

“We need more bosses like this, absolutely right decision,” Anna responded. “This stories need to be shared. Also, ‘I love hiring moms because they know how to be efficient and they need the job to provide for their families.’ Pregnant hires for the win.”

Other working parents shared the negative way their coworkers responded to their pregnancies just a few decades ago.

This mom described hiring someone who was obviously pregnant in her interview, but neither of them mentioned it. This comment sparked a discussion on choice – is it a woman’s choice to disclose or not disclose her condition? Most commenters agreed that it is her choice, and pregnancy should have no bearing on a candidate’s ability to do the job well.

Stories like Anna’s definitely seem like progress! Women have proven time and again that we can do the same jobs as men, and we deserve equal pay, respect, and opportunities. It’s past time that employers make good on their promise of equality.

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