Your Small Business and Working Mothers

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 65% of mothers with kids under the age of 18 works. More than 70% of moms either work or are looking for a job. How can you, as a small business, accommodate working mothers and pregnant women?

A new bill was introduced in 2012, known as the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, but has yet to be passed. The bill wants "to eliminate discrimination and promote women's health and economic security by ensuring reasonable workplace accommodations for workers whose ability to perform the functions of a job are limited by pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition."

California is the state with the most understanding towards pregnant women, averaging only two pregnancy discrimination cases per year.

Accommodating pregnant women

There are many ways in which small businesses can accommodate women who are expecting a child.

If her job is labor-intensive, consider offering her a different job, such as bookkeeping or administrative work for the nine months that she's with child. Allow her more breaks to use the restroom throughout the day and be understanding towards doctor's appointments she must attend.

You don't necessarily need to allow her extra time off, but be willing to be flexible. For example, if she needs to leave early one day for an appointment, have her come in early the next day or stay late.

Discuss with the pregnant employee what you expect of her throughout her pregnancy. Maybe you'll allow her to work from home one day per week or cut back to part-time if she wishes to do so. Be clear, be flexible and always make sure you're on the same page.

The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) allows pregnant employees to take up to 12 weeks off from work if they choose to. The worker is guaranteed to keep her benefits and her job during this leave.

As a business owner, you must abide by this law. Determine beforehand if you plan on paying employees during this leave or having them take it un-paid.

If you can't afford to pay them the entire time, you can always allow them to save up their vacation and sick days and use it as part of their leave. This way, the new mom gets paid for at least the first few weeks of her leave.

Keep in mind that there are certain requirements that must be met for FMLA. You may need to have been working at the company for a year in order to be eligible, and typically FMLA only applies to companies with 50 or more employees.

If a pregnant woman were to come in for a job interview, it is not fair to discriminate simply because she is expecting.

Instead, discuss openly what is expected from the job and whether or not she would be able to meet those requirements. You can bring up maternity leave and her plans on returning to work after she has the child.

Personally, I've worked throughout both of my pregnancies and never had any issues.

My boss was flexible when it came to doctor's appointments, and I was always willing to make up the lost time on a different day. My productivity remained the same and I was able to work up until a week before my due date.

Of course, each woman and each pregnancy are vastly different.

As a business owner, flexibility and understanding are key when it comes to having pregnant women on the job.