May 23rd 2024.
In the midst of the tech industry facing a wave of layoffs in the past year, a troubling pattern has emerged. It has been reported that pregnant women and those on parental leave are among those being let go from their positions. These stories have spread across social media, shedding light on the struggles faced by expectant or postpartum employees who have been impacted by company downsizing. Unfortunately, as Fast Company has revealed, there are currently no specific laws in place to protect these workers from being laid off due to business needs.
Jack Tuckner, a lawyer who specializes in cases of gender discrimination, has received numerous calls from affected employees all over the country. He believes that pregnant women and new mothers are particularly vulnerable to losing their jobs, but it can be difficult to prove that their pregnancy or perceived disability played a role in their termination. Tuckner explains that while it is illegal to be fired because of pregnancy, it becomes more complicated when a large number of employees are being let go due to company restructuring.
In the absence of mandatory paid leave policies, these women are left to navigate the challenges of caring for a newborn or preparing for childbirth without the support of their former employers. Some are even left without a job at all. Nichole Foley, who was laid off from Google while on maternity leave, had to hire a lawyer to push back against the terms of her dismissal, which the company claimed was due to her performance. Another former Google employee, Brittany Lappano, who was let go in 2023, started a Discord group called Labor Club that now has over 400 members. The group offers guidance and support to those who have been laid off.
The numbers of pregnant employees and new parents being impacted by layoffs in the tech industry are staggering. Big players like Google, Amazon, and Meta have collectively laid off tens of thousands of workers as part of their downsizing efforts over the past year and a half. Tesla has recently joined in, cutting over 14,000 positions. According to layoff tracker Layoffs.fyi, the tech sector has seen over 340,000 job cuts across multiple companies since early 2023. In 2023 alone, CNBC reported that Amazon and Microsoft announced a combined 28,000 layoffs, while Google CEO Sundar Pichai revealed around 12,000 employee terminations.
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