generous parental – For Mita Mallick, the moment her employer posted her job while she was on parental leave felt like betrayal. Across legal filings and workplace accounts, the same story keeps surfacing: generous leave exists on paper, but returning employees—especially women—c
When Mita Mallick stepped into parental leave, she expected a pause. Then a friend called after Mallick had only been gone for about a month—asking what Mallick’s future looked like.
“Are you not going back to work?” her friend relayed.
The question wasn’t hypothetical. The friend had seen that Mallick’s employer—described as a large, recognizable public company—had posted her job. Mallick remembers the feeling as immediate and physical: “I felt like the floor fell out from under me.” She added. “I was just devastated and felt so betrayed.”.
Mallick had already lost out on a promotion that “failed to materialize” when she became pregnant. After giving birth, she began looking for another job while freshly postpartum, and she never returned to that company.
Years later, she tried to anticipate the next round of bias. When she was up for a promotion while having another baby, she hid her pregnancy for as long as possible. Once she was forced to disclose it. she went from being a front-runner to being “out of the running.” Suddenly. she was being asked questions such as. “Why are you in such a rush to get promoted?”.
When she finally returned to work after nearly six months of leave, her performance rating was the lowest possible because, according to the business, it “fell off a cliff.” She later learned she wasn’t alone—other workers had effectively been punished for going on leave.
In corporate America, parental leave has become one of the most marketable benefits a company can offer. But Mallick’s experiences sit in the gap between what companies promise and what happens after the leave ends.
parental leave pregnancy discrimination workplace bias performance reviews EEOC PWFA motherhood penalty DEI backlash HR policies
So they say they support leave but then still penalize you? Sounds about right.
This is wild. Like why even post your job while you’re gone?? I feel like HR just plays games with women and calls it “performance.”
Wait so she didn’t come back and they rated her low? If she was on leave for 6 months how would they know her work “fell off a cliff” lol. Not defending the company, just confused on how ratings work.
Corporations love to brag about parental leave but it’s like a trap. I heard employers count everything against you, even if your contract says “generous.” Then they act shocked when women don’t want to have babies or just leave the job. Also hiding a pregnancy?? I mean I get it, but that’s insane we even have to do that.