IBM International Business Machines Corp

Expectant mothers are winning high-powered positions; 'I never turn down an opportunity'

By Joann S. Lublin 

This article is being republished as part of our daily reproduction of WSJ.com articles that also appeared in the U.S. print edition of The Wall Street Journal (July 11, 2019).

Many women figure that expecting a better job while expecting a baby remains a far-fetched fantasy. Yet mothers-to-be are putting themselves up for promotions and getting hired into leadership across technology, media, restaurants, banking and advertising.

The women typically land their new managerial posts by making sure their stellar records and work commitment aren't in question, according to executive coaches, recruiters and their employers. These female leaders say they work hard to ensure the impact of their leave is minimal, and companies involved say that sometimes parenting has to take precedence.

The pregnant women's selection reflects strong demand for star players and expanded family-friendly benefits. Online crafts marketplace Etsy Inc., which offers a relatively high 26 weeks of paid parental leave, says it has recruited or promoted about 40 pregnant staffers since 2013. Also, women with high-powered positions often can more easily afford high-quality child care.

"Expectant women often are well established in their careers these days, " says Allison Robinson, chief executive officer of The Mom Project, a job marketplace that aims to connect companies with female talent. "So, pregnancy cannot be a limiting factor if employers want to hire and retain women for key management roles."

Alarice Lonergan, an International Business Machines Corp. executive, won a promotion shortly before the birth of each of her two daughters. She initially advanced to associate partner of IBM's management consulting unit in 2015.

"I had established myself well," the 15-year IBM veteran says. "Taking a new challenge was within my reach." She resumed work following a 13-week maternity leave.

IBM elevated Ms. Lonergan again last year -- this time to partner. Her promotion took effect three months before she took off 18 weeks to have her younger daughter. Now pregnant again, she would consider another promotion before her son arrives this November.

"I never turn down an opportunity," Ms. Lonergan says.

Ambitious women should pursue better jobs while pregnant because "it is getting better and easier," says Kayti Sullivan, a senior vice president and general manager at Yelp Inc. who put her hand up to be in charge of its sales and operational teams two months before she gave birth in late February.

"Being promoted during my latest pregnancy certainly felt like a nonissue," she says. Ms. Sullivan says she sought the broader position because she aspires to be a chief operating officer or CEO someday. Her 14-week parental leave ended in June, she says, adding, "I didn't miss a beat."

Allegations of discrimination against pregnant women persist even though U.S. law bans such treatment. Many women are demoted or assigned lesser duties when they are expecting, and some are even dismissed, work-bias experts say. About 72% of the 148 pregnancy-bias lawsuits filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission during the past decade alleged that employers unlawfully fired women when they disclosed their pregnancy. The EEOC brought 19 pregnancy suits in its latest fiscal year, up from 14 during the prior year.

Sales executive Ashley Berg sued BMF Media Group LLC this winter, claiming that her pregnancy announcement led the brand-marketing firm to withdraw her recent promotion abruptly.

"No woman should ever have to choose between receiving the job promotion she had worked hard to earn and becoming pregnant," a filing with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York says. The suit was settled this month, and attorneys for both sides declined to comment.

Some employers are trying harder to pave the way for expectant women to progress. Amanda Horne, a regional manager for Bright Horizons Family Solutions, the largest U.S. provider of employer-sponsored child care, says her boss already knew she was pregnant when she encouraged the child-care-center director to apply for a regional-manager opening. Three other colleagues who interviewed Ms. Horne for the promotion also have children. None expressed qualms about her pregnancy or parental duties crimping her performance, she says.

Ms. Horne ascended to regional manager shortly before she delivered her daughter in the fall of 2017. She was granted permission to skip an out-of-town company conference scheduled for the same week she resumed work in January 2018.

Pregnant executives say they strive to earn credibility quickly with colleagues. Kate Railton joined Toronto-based startup Rubikloud Technologies Inc. as vice president of people in April 2018. She says she aimed to get "everything moving as fast as possible" because she planned a one-year maternity leave following the June 2018 birth of her second son. Among other things, she toiled evenings and weekends to find a second-in-command before taking off.

Weeks after giving birth, she made a board presentation by videoconference from home -- with her newborn on her lap. She also consulted for Rubikloud an average of five hours a week during her leave.

"I have had no dead time," says the human-resources executive. She returned from leave July 2.

Ms. Railton's boss, Rubikloud CEO Kerry Liu, said that "choosing Kate for a key role during her pregnancy persuaded us to expand work-life balance programs sooner than most startups." He added: "Our culture is better for it in the long run."

Write to Joann S. Lublin at joann.lublin@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 11, 2019 02:47 ET (06:47 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.