People Are Campaigning for a 'Pregnancy Pause' Button to be Added to LinkedIn

Campaign US
Whether you're networking online, looking for recommendations or just updating your CV, for women all over the world, the glass ceiling is a looming threat. Despite the fact that we're literally one year away from catching up with Blade Runner, gender politics still feel like they're stuck in the past, and the prickly issue of maternity leave is no exception. Women should not have to explain to anyone, least of all a prospective employer, why there's a lengthy, childbirth-related gap in their job experience, but somehow it's still an issue.

This is as much the case on LinkedIn as it is anywhere else, and for this reason Mother New York are championing the 'Pregnancy Pause'. Essentially, it behave the same way as a normal job listing, but it's there to represent the time the person in question had spent off work on maternity leave. By doing this, women are be able represent childcare as what it is - a full time job, rather than taking the standard "don't ask don't tell" approach.

It doesn't even require any active input from LinkedIn themselves. Pregnancy Pause has already been listed as an active employer on the platform, and all mothers need to do is put it on their profile, listing their position as Mum/Mom/Mother/Mommy/Parental Unit and then under duration put the length of time they spent on maternity leave. Any prospective employer who clicks on the link will be lead to the official website.

Studies in the US have shown that many women feel immensely pressured to get back to work as soon as possible after childbirth, with more than 50% of new mothers taking only five months before going back to work, according to results taken in 2015. In tandem with this, there is a reluctance for women to actually talk about maternity leave during the job-hunting process, which could be directly detrimental to their prospects. Sad but true.

The Pregnancy Pause is actively encouraging discussion surrounding maternity leave, and while mothers shouldn't be expected to challenge such an outmoded, prejudiced issue, it's a positive step. The site even encourages mothers to seek out other people with Pregnancy Pause on their profile and congratulate them. If LinkedIn are smart, they will shed some more light on this campaign.

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