I finally got budget to add another team member to my team who were struggling with workloads. Among other criteria, starting date was very crucial in my decision because of new project that will add even more workload to the team. Most qualified candidate was available after a month, and the first runner was available immediately. I hired her, then in around 8 weeks she told us that she is expecting and she will need to take 12 weeks of maternity leave!!! There is no way management will hire a temp to cover for her especially that she is getting paid in full. HR said that she had the right not to tell us during the interviewing process, and that firing her for this reason could bring significant problems. I think this is very unfair to the rest of the team and the company that a candidate could hide that very important piece of information during interviewing!! Anyone had a similar experience? Or any advice what to do? Top management lives in a different world and thinks my team can still handle all the workload, but on average we’re pulling 70 hours a week. The only reason I got a budget approval is because of that new project. Now I got the new project and short-staffed!! TC520k ————————— Update: For those saying that I will treat her badly when she comes back from maternity leave. That’s definitely not happing. She is actually a very smart hard-working team member that I always admire her work. I am just mad at the system. For those saying I shouldn’t be a leader. I am literally consistently getting a totally opposite feedback from my team members (actively and passively, direct and indirect). I talk to them all the time and try to help them develop technically and professionally. Maybe the way I drafted the problem made you feel this. But I know this is not true. On the other hand, the company is a start-up with net losses since it started in 2022. I push as hard as I can on top management, but they also have their hands tied. This is to all the human right and socialism ambassadors who live in their Utopia world: Employment is a contract where an employee, simply, agrees to do their job in exchange for money. Family and other considerations are put in consideration to SOME EXTENT. But, if it was your own company, you wouldn’t hire (or even keep) an employee with no experience just because they had tough times!! There are so many programs, especially in this country, to take care of people suffering from situations like this. If you hire a SWD and then found he is dyslexic and could not code for so long, you will fire them!! Because you are a devil? No, because you work in a company not an orphanage!!! You need to get work done. Some job descriptions even say that employee will need to be able to occasionally lift 10 pounds (probably for laptop) and sit for few hours. Not hiring someone for that reason is called “disqualification” not “discrimination”. My situation is extremely similar. ———————- Another update: People saying that I am mad at her because she got pregnant. That has NOTHING to do with the real problem. My problem is that I shared information about workloads, working hours, timelines, current and new projects when I didn’t have to, just to let her know what to expect. On the other hand, she hid an important piece of information that she knows very well it will impact the team’s productivity. Yes what she did is legal, I know that. But it wasn’t ethical. I was interviewing another guy for the same role and I told him about the long working hours and the workloads that we have, and he said that he is helping his father with his trucking business two days a week and he won’t be able to stay after 5 on those days. I respected him so much. And I told HR to keep his contact for future opportunities (when our working hours could fit his schedule) because he was a good fit; technically and ethically. The two situations are similar to me. Forget about the cause of her not being able to provide that many working hours. She hid something she knows about that will impact her capability of getting her job done temporarily. Would your responses be the same?
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Sounds like a you problem and not a her problem. If your company has day 1 parental leave benefits I don’t see issue. You need to man up and stand up for yourself and team on workload issue instead of seething and being overworked and bitter
This is a ridiculous comment. Companies pay to get work done. That's what OP expects. Going on a leave 2 months after joining is just manipulative. It's not like she provided value for a couple of years and then went on a leave.
Company clearly shouldnt have day1 maternity leave policy. A lot of companies only offer full pay after 1 year at the company , so its the companies fault A team shouldnt be so overloaded that 1 missing person would cause workload issues , again team , leader and conpanies fault. You are a complete 🤡 to even try to defend this
She played the game well. She didn't need to disclose that she was pregnant.
Yes, she did the correct thing. When you interview, reveal as little about your life as possible. You will be discriminated against whether the interviewer means to or not. That's what bias is
She only did the legally correct thing. She could have just switched after availing maternity in her previous company.
You should resign. You don’t belong in leadership. Problem solved.
This is why even with if companies like OpenAI gives 1 year pregnancy leave, nobody is gonna take the bait if their manager is shit. Imagine coming back to work after delivering.
She should switch teams immediately after coming back.
8 weeks means she got pregnant after employment. Also another one of your team members could also have got pregnant (or had a partner who was). If you can't deal with that and push back for reasonable deadlines for your team you're not cut out to be a manager.
This is the correct answer.
@Atlassian: Lol.. 8 weeks is 2 months.... She is expecting now When was she pregnant? Hint: it takes 9 months. And maternity leave is generally taken for AFTER deliver care.
HR has it correct. The fact that you would consider firing someone for putting their family first is why pregnancy has such legal protections, and is why women don't have to and shouldn't disclose this when interviewing. I feel for you regarding your deadlines and workload, but the blame for that your management, not your new hire. Make the case to them instead of blaming someone innocent who is merely observing their legal protections and benefits.
Yes, he wouldn't have hired her if she disclosed
She does not need to disclose. I am pretty sure you have not disclosed all of your thoughts to amazon. OP will be fired if his company sees this post.
Imagine being angry because someone is terrified pregnant and needs a job, with only 12 weeks off to boot. Lolol system is fcukd
Many if not all European countries allow women to not disclose their pregnancy to their prospective employer. This is to avoid discrimination, you should suck it up and spread the workload among your current team, any retaliation against her after she comes back will be served over a gold platter to an employment lawyer
Its the same in the US
Isn’t this your job? If you need to execute and a team member has FMLA/parental leave/reserve deployment then you go up the chain to get more budget or you push your timeline back.
Simple. Such a spineless coward
Pretty sure that is possible. Probably OPs has to deliver this project for a fat bonus or some other promised gain. Hence this has gone from a normal thing at work to something that’s personally frustrating them. Pushing back the deliverable might mean no promo or some other benefit OP and team.
Play the game and buffer your estimates. Best option is for you to change teams or companies if you can. Otherwise your life will be tough for the next few months. If you succeed, they will put it as expected since they gave you extra resources and if you fail they will blame you. You can see how unknown folks responded in this thread. Your leadership will be even more heartless. Leadership is playing you by giving you very few resources.
bytedance?