Pregnancy and employment: The perceptions and beliefs of fellow workers

Abstract

This study investigated working peoples perceptions and beliefs of pregnancy and employment. One hundred and sixty-nine respondents completed a postal questionnaire, the main part of which consisted of 40 Likert scaled items about pregnancy and work. Analysis of the results revealed a main effect of gender whereby women were more positive than men (F(l,l61) = 36.51; p < 0.0001). There were also main effects of age, whereby people aged between 26 and 45 were the most positive (<F(4,164) = 3.53; p < 0.009), and workplace, whereby the university workers were more positive than workers in a manufacturing industry (F(l,16l) = 3.51; p < 0.017). Direct experience, or a partner's experience, of working during pregnancy had an effect on total scores which approached significance, but having worked with a pregnant woman was only linked to more positive responses if that experience was also rated positively. The results are interpreted in terms of differences in proximity to the experience of working during pregnancy. There is some evidence, from analyses of different categories of items in the questionnaire, that negative views of pregnancy and employment may arise from the negative stereotype of pregnant women as invalids.