Is it OK/appropriate to ask about maternity leave in an interview?

[Anonymous]

I wouldnt bring it up, personally. Legally, they cannot descriminate, but that doesnt mean it doesnt happen. a friend of mine was offered a job, asked about maternity benefits (she was 4 mos pregnant), and then the offer was retracted. Not saying this will always happen, but it can. As for pumping, they have to provide time and space, so I would save this for after you have the job and just ask them where to go.

[Anonymous]

I agree with PP, especially in this market, you may want to tread carefully even after you get the offer. It can very easily be retracted and they don't have to give you a reason so you can't make a case for discrimination.

[Anonymous]

Get the job offer first, then ask these questions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ask after they offer you the job but before you accept.

This. And pay close attention to tone and/or body language when the question is answered. If you get any kind of negative vibe, probe further -- how many women have taken maternity leave/pumped? In what positions? Are they still at the company and could you speak to them? I disagree that you don't need to ask about pumping. I showed up at a job with my pump and it definitely ended up being an issue. That's not right, but it happened. It was awful so I recommend avoiding it if you can. Same with the fact that I needed to leave by a certain time to pick up my DC from day care. Between that and pumping, I was driven out of the job pretty quickly -- in large part because I had not mentioned them during the interviews or when I accepted the position because I thought it wasn't appropriate to mention. You need to be sure that things like that are okay with your employer before accepting a job. Sad but true.

The law says if a company has over a certain number of employees, you can pump. However, there is no law that says you get to leave early to pick up your child day care. You really expect an employer to allow you to do this everyday or even once every week. I'm a supervisor and I would never allow this on a permanent basis. When you accept the job you go by the employer rules not by your needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ask after they offer you the job but before you accept.

This. And pay close attention to tone and/or body language when the question is answered. If you get any kind of negative vibe, probe further -- how many women have taken maternity leave/pumped? In what positions? Are they still at the company and could you speak to them? I disagree that you don't need to ask about pumping. I showed up at a job with my pump and it definitely ended up being an issue. That's not right, but it happened. It was awful so I recommend avoiding it if you can. Same with the fact that I needed to leave by a certain time to pick up my DC from day care. Between that and pumping, I was driven out of the job pretty quickly -- in large part because I had not mentioned them during the interviews or when I accepted the position because I thought it wasn't appropriate to mention. You need to be sure that things like that are okay with your employer before accepting a job. Sad but true.

The law says if a company has over a certain number of employees, you can pump. However, there is no law that says you get to leave early to pick up your child day care. You really expect an employer to allow you to do this everyday or even once every week. I'm a supervisor and I would never allow this on a permanent basis. When you accept the job you go by the employer rules not by your needs.

Wait, if her hours are 9-5pm, are you saying she can't leave at 5 to pick her child up from daycare?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ask after they offer you the job but before you accept.

This. And pay close attention to tone and/or body language when the question is answered. If you get any kind of negative vibe, probe further -- how many women have taken maternity leave/pumped? In what positions? Are they still at the company and could you speak to them? I disagree that you don't need to ask about pumping. I showed up at a job with my pump and it definitely ended up being an issue. That's not right, but it happened. It was awful so I recommend avoiding it if you can. Same with the fact that I needed to leave by a certain time to pick up my DC from day care. Between that and pumping, I was driven out of the job pretty quickly -- in large part because I had not mentioned them during the interviews or when I accepted the position because I thought it wasn't appropriate to mention. You need to be sure that things like that are okay with your employer before accepting a job. Sad but true.

The law says if a company has over a certain number of employees, you can pump. However, there is no law that says you get to leave early to pick up your child day care. You really expect an employer to allow you to do this everyday or even once every week. I'm a supervisor and I would never allow this on a permanent basis. When you accept the job you go by the employer rules not by your needs.

She didn't say early. She said at a specific time. If I had a dime for every time an employer didn't get that they couldn't just pull me or other parents into a meeting at 5:05 as we're leaving for daycare, I wouldn't need the damn job. It was almost always something that could have been avoided if folks had merely planned better instead of say, slipping out to watch March Madness at lunch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ask after they offer you the job but before you accept.

This.

[Anonymous]

Sure you can ask, but keep in mind you might not get as many offers as interviews if you do. If you have time to sit around and wait for the "perfect" company feel free.

If you want to be a little more on the "normal" side, wait until they offer you the position.

[Anonymous]

I agree with everyone above.

Get the offer first. THEN ask these questions to see if you want the job.

Sadly, if you ask during the interview process, it may (will?) be held against you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ask after they offer you the job but before you accept.

This.

+2

[Anonymous]

How about this question: can you give me some paperwork or a link to description of your standard benefits package? Then if it is not adequately described you may have to suck it up and wait.

[Anonymous]

OP here, wow these answers are all over the place!

[Anonymous]

It's common sense OP, if you really want the job, you demonstrate a "can do" attitude during the interview. Once you establish that they want you, i.e, by getting an offer, you can then start asking about benefits and yes, paid maternity leave is a benefit. If the employer really want you, some of them are willing to bend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, wow these answers are all over the place!

Not really. I think there was one (wrong) person who said you should bring it up at the interview. Others expressed the belief that, though you really should be able to bring up such things at the interview, it would not be wise to do so. And maybe one person mentioned that it's appropriate to ask about benefits when talking to an interviewer from HR.

There is absolutely nothing to be gained from asking about maternity leave or pumping in any interview. Save it for after you've been offered the job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow these responses suck. Op I asked at all my interviews. But I was interviewing for technical positions at which hr really had no input on whether I would be hired. However, I was basically lied to about our policy and that is why I have been working to convince hr that it needs to be better documented and included in the standard issue benefits info. Can everybody else (those of us with jobs) please do this too? That this question has to be asked is shameful.

I disagree. You wouldn't ask about salary or vacation or bonuses in an interview - that would be in poor taste. Likewise, don't ask about maternity leave until you have the job. Pumping just ask about afterwards, there is no need to ask during an interview.

Manager here. Look, I wouldn't dream of introducing pumping as "standard benefits info." That's really a bit presumptuous, don't you think? Maybe I should inform women about IVF and whether they can get an abortion at their interviews? Or weight loss surgery?

I kind of understand where you are coming from, except a pumping room is a mandatory accommodation in DC for employers of a certain size. This certainly does not make it a strategic move to ask about it during the interview -- it isn't. But, as a manager, you should know that if you are an employer of a certain size, pumping is absolutely part of the standard benefits info.