I got a reality check from a friend on Facebook yesterday.
I had just finished a story on NBCNews.com yesterday about Yahoo’s CEO Marissa Mayer and how she plans to balance her new gig and the new born she’s expecting in October, and after posting a link on my Facebook page a friend Kathryn wrote:
“Wow. I’m just really shocked that no one even mentioned the father. We don’t even blink when men return to work after having a child.”
She is so right. I wrote the story looking at her decision to take only a few weeks off after the baby comes, and her plan to answer emails from work right after giving birth. Many women, and men, got on her case saying she doesn’t know what she’s in for.
But Kathryn made a good point. When’s the last time a male CEO announced he was going to be a father soon; and who could care for that matter?
It turns out, male senior executives are more likely to have kids than their female counterparts.
Clearly, women have to recover from giving birth but most women are able to do that and function pretty well just weeks after they give birth. So, the big issue beyond this is who’ll care for the little bundle of joy.
Mayer won’t have to worry about paying a fleet of nannies and nurses if she needs them. And what about the dad to be?
On late Monday, Mayer tweeted this:
“Another piece of good news today - @zackbogue and I are expecting a new baby boy!”
Zack Bogue is her husband and she’s saying Zack is also expecting a new baby.
They both are. They both will have to share the responsibility.
Until we finally accept this, we women are screwed when it comes to advancing in the work world.
That said, I’m so excited about the idea of a very pregnant CEO in a boardroom and her taking questions at analyst meetings.
Here’s to someday seeing a pregnant president of the United States.
July 18th, 2012 at 4:24 pm
Eve, the minimum age to be president is 35 but that never happens. If you’re wishing for a pregnant president, you might have a long wait as late 40s - 60s seems to be the more common age of success in that endeavor. There has been a lot of science to suggest that having children before age 35 is healthier for everyone involved, so you might not want to wish for that even if our first female President is that young.
Also nice to see the myth of discrimination in hiring against pregnant women exposed so brilliantly. Clearly, if you have the right experience and qualifications, it doesn’t matter, which is a nice message for people looking for excuses about why their careers haven’t gone the way they wanted.
July 19th, 2012 at 9:58 am
This whole topic is so up setting to me!It’s GREAT that Yahoo did the “Right” thing, but why are they receiving kuddos for it?! How about the company’s out there that are still doing the wrong thing and discriminating against women who want families?! I ask this question because I happen to be victim to such discrimination and here is a abridged version of my story!
I worked as a Business Development Manager (Sales Manager) for a privately held almost billion dollar, International chemical company. A company which I was told was built on the value and importance of family. I believed that to be true since the company was still run by 3rd generation family members. In the division I worked I was 1 of 2 female sales managers which is a very low number considering the number of sales reps they employ and all of the restof the managers were men. Last spring (2011) my husband and I made the decision to adopt out of the foster care system. My supervisor at the time (a man) was very supportive and excited for my husband and I. Unfortunately, in late summer 2011 he stopped being my supervisor and I found myself reporting to another man, a man who upon finding out about my husband and I pursuing adoption asked me the question, “When you get a child, how and are you, going to be able to do your job?!” That was one of many inappropriate, illegal questions possed to me by the organization and then I began to be treated horribly by the organization. I filied a complaint with human resources only to have it be investigated by a commitee of males who had been employeed there for many, many years! The outcome of the investigation (And I have a huge stack of specific details which prove gender discrimation against me) was a condescending reassurance that upon having a child placed with me I would be granted FMLA leave (Duh, it’s the law) and that although yes, they vaidated all of my clamis, I just took them the wrong way, and then I was pressured into resigning, they made it so uncomfortable for me to continue to do my job and I have now been unemployeed since November, 2011.And please note,I had NO performance issues! I did my job and I did it well and that was validated during the investigation! However, they did try to pressure my original, supportive supervisor to say otherwise!
How is this right?!
So while it is wonderful that Yahoo has hired a pregnant woman, it should be the norm! And if you think that discrimation against woman who want families is not happening, you are VERY wrong!
July 19th, 2012 at 10:09 am
You are so right Kelly, one example of a company hiring a pregnant CEO does not mean the world has changed. There is still a lot of bias against women, and pregnant women, and working mothers, out there. It’s great Yahoo made this move, but alas, we have not overcome. Sorry Sean.
July 19th, 2012 at 10:55 am
I think it’s great that they hired a pregnant person, BUT…..the expectation that she will return to work immediately is problematic to me. Haven’t we fought for things like FMLA and maternity leave so that families could take the time that they need for such a huge lifechanging event without fear of job loss? I think the bigger issue is that both moms AND dads who work outside the home should have the opportunity to take time TOGETHER with their new baby, regardless of the ability to pay for nannies or housekeepers or wet nurses. The Yahoo thing does not seems like a big step forward to me at all.
July 19th, 2012 at 11:58 am
That’s the said piece of this whole story Kirsten. We did fight for these things so we could take them, but many women, and men, don’t. But it’s not because they want to show a commitment to their employer, as Yahoo’s chief is apparently doing. Many parents just can’t afford to take time off if they’re not being paid. The U.S. is still one of the only industrialized nations without mandatory pregnancy leave, or paid sick leave for that matter.
July 23rd, 2012 at 3:45 pm
My response to the controversy over the pregnant Yahoo head is that it’s good that both Mayer and Yahoo are trying to make it work for a working mother. More companies especially–and yes, more women–have to try harder to make some version of work work. In the 10 years that I was a recruiter I never met a woman who left work because she hated it. Most of the women I’ve met leave the workforce and then have a hard time getting back in–when they really want to and need to. Someday Mayer will be a great role model for her children. All working mothers are–especially for boys. Read this post that I wrote for my multi-channel blog site, www.9livesforwomen.com about a little boy’s 2012 view of women. I’d be interested to know if you all think it’s an isolated incident or a more widespread view. If it is more widespread, it says a lot about why women don’t advance further and why many companies do little to help the working mother challenges. http://9livesforwomen.com/2012/07/19/out-of-the-mouths-of-babes/