Some mothers may have attributed a lapse in memory or concentration to their pregnancy or new born baby. Australian researchers, however, have confirmed that a woman’s brain is not adversely affected by pregnancy or motherhood.
The research (details of which can be viewed on the BBC website) found that while pregnant women may naturally move their focus away from work in preparation for motherhood, this is not a “cognitive deficit”.
Whilst the myth has been dispelled, it is undisputed that pregnancy and motherhood can (or will!) increase mothers’ tiredness which in turn may affect their memory or ability to concentrate. This could be dangerous in certain work situations and there are special health and safety rules applicable to pregnant employees who have jobs which involve heavy lifting and/or night work.
Employers, therefore, need to ensure that they carefully monitor the health and safety of their employees who are pregnant or have just returned to work following maternity leave. Some of the questions we have answered for employers in the XpertHR FAQ section are:
- Where a pregnant employee’s job involves heavy lifting and there is no lighter work available for her to do can the employer insist that she start her maternity leave early?
- Can an employer offer an employee less money for alternative work during her pregnancy where she cannot do her normal job because of the risks involved?
- Which employees are included in the term “new or expectant mother”?
- Can an employee return to work immediately after having given birth?
- Are there special rules for new or expectant mothers employed on night work?
- Are employers obliged to accommodate requests for lengthy breaks several times a day for the purposes of expressing milk?
More information (subscription required)
|
| Permalink | Email this |
