Financial woes and workplace rows making pregnancy traumatic: HSE

ONE third of recent mothers have described their pregnancy as traumatic, with half blaming financial worries.

A study published yesterday by the Health Service Executive’s Crisis Pregnancy Programme described the experiences of 2,300 women who had a baby between July 2007 and June 2009.

It found 44% said their pregnancy was unplanned. More than four in 10 women who said their pregnancy was traumatic blamed medical difficulties.

The survey found that 28% were experiencing relationship difficulties.

Almost one in three working women blamed workplace factors such as “work plans” or “work commitments” or concern about the reaction from employers or co-workers.

However, 71% of women said their employer was supportive and 63% were satisfied with their treatment during their pregnancy, although one in five were dissatisfied.

About 5% of women employed during pregnancy were either dismissed, made redundant or treated so badly that they had to leave their job.

Unfair treatment was most common among women under 25 years, women expecting their second child and those in the retail and wholesale sector.

It was also common in organisations with few flexible work arrangements and those that did not have a formal equality policy. Pregnant women were generally found to be better protected in organisations employing nine or fewer people.

Although 92% of women took paid maternity leave, just 41% also took unpaid maternity leave. For the most part, women who were in a good financial situation took unpaid leave.

Almost 50% of women received a top-up payment from their employer in addition to receiving state maternity benefits. Receipt of such payments was higher among women who were already financially secure.

Just under 20% of women who returned to work had asked to take any parental leave, and one in five who applied had their request refused or had it granted in a different format to that which they had requested.

About one in eight women took less than the 26 weeks’ statutory paid leave entitlement, either because of pressure from their employers or because of financial constraints.

One in five who returned to work felt their opportunities for training had decreased, and one in four felt opportunities for promotion had decreased.

Acting director of the HSE Crisis Pregnancy Programme, Dr Stephanie O’Keeffe, said women in employment were less likely to experience a traumatic pregnancy where there were flexible work arrangements.

Dr O’Keeffe said that the findings would have an important bearing for the agency in the development of its strategic plan 2012-2016.

Equality Authority chief executive Renee Dempsey said all of the findings demonstrated the need to ensure women were aware of their rights regarding pregnancy at work and that they were supported in achieving those rights.

Just over 70% of women who experienced unfair treatment during their pregnancy took no action, with just 20% reporting the problem to a manager or supervisor.

Last year saw the first ever fall in the number of queries relating to the Maternity Protection Act, which the authority said was another indication that women found pregnancy a burden during the recession.