Abstract
BackgroundIn Switzerland, occupational risks for pregnant workers are covered by specific maternity protection legislation (MPL); however, studies show significant shortcomings in the implementation of these policies among companies. AimsAnalyse the gaps between the provisions of Switzerland’s MPL, the protective measures companies plan to take and actual protection practices. We also aim to understand how employees develop their own strategies in order to make up for the shortcomings or contradictions of companies’ measures. MethodsInterviews with 46 different stakeholders from organisations in the healthcare sector and the food industry were transcribed and analysed thematically. ResultsSome of the organisations used procedures apparently in line with legislation, while others planned more informal approaches to managing on a case-by-case basis. Normative safety measures within the framework of national legislation served as resources for both managers and their employees. However, implementing these measures ran up against real-world workplace constraints, which sometimes rendered them impracticable. Employees adapted some measures considered insufficient or developed their own strategies to reconcile work and pregnancy. ConclusionsBeing pregnant is challenging to represent in occupational settings; it is not a disease, but it involves important physical and biopsychosocial changes, which affect women’s occupational life. The multidimensional, evolving, and yet temporary nature of pregnancy represents a significant challenge to the implementation of MPL within companies. Linking the normative safety measures stipulated in the legislation with pregnant employees’ needs—and their job-related knowledge and skills—could be an interesting pathway towards improving maternity protection at work.
Highlights
Many countries have implemented specific laws to protect pregnant women and their future children from occupational exposure and arduous activities
Sharing a common base—i. e. assess occu pational risks to pregnancy and take the adequate and necessary mea sures to avoid the exposure of pregnant workers—the specific regulations protecting the health of pregnant employees from occupa tional risks vary from one country to the (Probst et al, 2018)
In order to collect multiple perspectives and points of views on the ways maternity protection is managed in occupational contexts, we sought to contact diverse roles within the company: decisions makers (i. e. employers, managers and heads of departments) and other actors involved in the protection of pregnant workers such as occupational health specialists and member of the staff committees
Summary
Many countries have implemented specific laws to protect pregnant women and their future children from occupational exposure and arduous activities. The practices implemented in companies often fall outside their respective legal frameworks (Adams et al, 2016; COWI, 2015; Lembrechts and Valgaeren, 2010) This is the case in Switzerland (Rudin et al, 2018). In Switzerland, occupational risks for pregnant workers are covered by specific maternity protection legislation (MPL); studies show significant shortcomings in the implementation of these policies among companies. Normative safety measures within the framework of national legislation served as resources for both managers and their employees. Implementing these measures ran up against real-world workplace constraints, which sometimes rendered them impracticable. Linking the normative safety measures stipulated in the legislation with pregnant employees’ needs—and their job-related knowledge and skills—could be an interesting pathway towards improving ma ternity protection at work
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