This article is written by Vickie Beauregard, a Canadian public servant. This article is one of the finalists in Apolitical’s 2020 women in government writing competition.

Don’t get me wrong, I want babies, possibly even four of them. Most people think this is crazy.

The big family, the successful career, enough of an income to never think twice about paying the bills. I mean, that is the dream right? But, is it feasible? And, is it feasible for us women who decide to take maternity leave? Unfortunately, the way hiring is currently done in the public service makes career growth challenging for working mothers.

In Canada, we are fortunate enough to have maternity leave options. It is beyond amazing to have the flexibility to stay at home for up to a year and a half, if desired, to raise our children. However, what we fail to see as a society is that this choice affects the growth of a woman’s career. Everything is suddenly put on pause if we choose to stay at home to raise our family.

When we return to work after our maternity leave, there will have been countless opportunities missed, changes in the workplace, new faces, new management, new roles, and new responsibilities to adapt to. Let’s face it, the workplace in this day and age is ever-evolving. The innovation, technology, challenges, and opportunities that present themselves change on a monthly basis. Therefore, the adaptation required when a woman comes back from maternity leave is incredibly difficult; this significantly and negatively impacts our careers.

The recency bias trap

When we take a year off, we return, we adapt, and we rise to the challenge — as we always do. Then, we see an opportunity to grow or possibly even move up a level. But then what? This is what we see on the job poster:

  • “Significant and recent experience in …”
  • *Significant experience is defined to mean the depth of having performed a broad range of duties for a period of two (2) years in the last five (5) years.

How can we qualify for these jobs?

I am a hiring manager. I understand that we want someone with the right qualifications for the job. However, the ideal candidates, the ones we should be hiring, are the ones with great values, work ethic, and work abilities. Skills and competencies are transferable, learned, and can be further developed.

The word “recent” prevents who are women coming back from maternity leave from applying to and qualifying for these jobs. One word makes all the difference in a woman’s career.

As women, we should not have to choose between having children or having a career

The public service is right to praise the importance of diversity and inclusion. From persons with disabilities, Indigenous persons, persons of colour and many more, the public service is making a tremendous effort in providing equal opportunities.

We have to acknowledge that they are doing a lot on a large scale, but for mothers to be recognised, HR simply has to understand the limitations associated with the word “recent”. This is a small but reasonable step departments can take, that would create a more inclusive workplace. Adjusting job posters is realistic and manageable.

It’s not just women who are held back by this:

  • What about persons with disabilities who may have to take personal leave?

  • Older employees that need to take leave should they temporarily become sick?

  • Someone taking leave to take care of a sick parent or child?

Aligned with the Canadian Human Rights Act, the use of the word “recent” provides limitations for the groups identified under grounds of discrimination. This is bigger than doing what is right for a woman’s career, this is how we can achieve better workplace equality.

As women, we should not have to choose between having children or having a career. We should not have to consider the impacts that having kids will have on our careers. You ask us why women make up a majority in many public services around the world but a minority of the senior positions? I can confirm that it is not because we are less qualified, but simply because we can’t even apply in the first place. — Vickie Beauregard

(Picture credit: Unsplash)

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