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Sudden Company Wide Rto Mandate... During Pregnancy. What Can I Do?

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Hi! I need some help navigating a delicate situation regarding my employment, pregnancy, and recent RTO policy change from my employer. In the US, Iowa.

So I am 26 weeks pregnant and recently my parent company issued a new "flexible" RTO policy.

Last week, my (subsidiary) company sent out another email about sending in requests for a flexible work arrangement. Essentially, we can work from home 1 day a week with approval. We can also request 2 days a week wfh with approval but it is "discouraged" ????

This policy is in full effect when I am EIGHT MONTHS pregnant. To put this in perspective, I started my job completely remote (pandemic days). I compromised already by coming in once per week for the last two years. So essentially I have never come into the office more than once per week for 4.5 years now. I work as a computer programmer and my company's technology is constantly getting the best reviews in the industry. So I can't imagine a world where me WFH would cause any "undue hardship".

Also, it takes me a little more than an hour to drive to the office ONE WAY. I am going to be exhausted but obviously am not in the position to be job hunting at the moment - my work does provide a decent paid maternity leave.

I am to submit a flexible work arrangement request via email that will go through several upper management approvals.

I am curious about the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and if I apply somehow. My pregnancy has been very low-risk so far and I'm not sure I technically have any "limitations" other than I'm progressively getting more uncomfortable and the commute would be exhausting, tedious, and unnecessary to my actual job function. I literally got so stressed out about this RTO policy that I was physically sick yesterday thinking about it.

I am also concerned because I'm not sure if I should cite PFWA during my request (due Friday) or if I should wait and bring it up seperately at a later date?Annual raises / bonuses are a couple weeks after the policy goes into full effect, for context. I don't want to get less of a raise than I would have otherwise. I'm wondering if I should request a remote accomodation at all during my pregnancy - and if I do, maybe I should wait until after I get my annual raise/bonus lol?

Also, if I want to use PFWA, I would rather use it postpartum after my maternity leave than right now (if I had to choose between the two). I imagine I am going to be sleep deprived to the point that an hourly morning commute could actually be dangerous and so I am anticipating trying to use it, later, with that reasoning. Knowing me, I could also be at risk for a postpartum depression (especially with all this BS going on), so there's that.

I'm just trying to balance company bureaucracy/politics with my rights and get the best deal possible out of everything.

What is the correct way to navigate this? I'm just an anxious and pregnant 27 year old ADHD mom to a toddler. I want to also establish my husband is a stay at home dad, so my toddler is cared for and I do not multi-task my parenting and work. I'm also breadwinner - so I can't afford to mess anything up.

Once I have returned to work for some time after my maternity leave and RTO is still likely enforced, I will be job hunting and hoping the remote programmer job market isn't doomed for me at that point. ????

Any advice or reassurance is appreciated. TIA ❤️

submitted by /u/SheepShroom
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