Seventy percent of pregnant women in the U.K. feel that they risk their jobs by taking statutory maternity leave, according to a new study. Of the 1,300 women polled by the recruitment firm maternitycover.com, three fourths believe having children had worsened their prospects for promotion. Half of the women polled said they would consider lying or hiding their pregnancy from their boss if they were being considered for a promotion or new job, while one third believed they’d been passed over for promotion in favor of other colleagues simply because they were of childbearing age.
Of course, none of this is to say that the women WERE in fact passed over for promotions or risking their jobs — but when anxiety is this rampant, it’s no wonder men are still reluctant to take paid paternity leave.
