BUSINESS OF PRACTICE: MANAGING THE HEALTH OF YOUR PRACTICE AND PERSONNEL


ruled in a mid-1970s case that discrimination based on pregnancy was not the same as discrim- ination based on sex. As a result, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 was passed, which ex- plicitly requires that all employers treat pregnant and non-pregnant employees equivalently, both in terms of benefits received and all other respects. This act requires employers to treat a pregnant employee the same as any other temporarily dis- abled worker, if she is unable to perform her work because of her pregnancy. Since the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in 1990, accom- modation of employees with disabilities has been a standard feature of antidiscrimination law for US employers having 15 or more employees. Some state disability laws are applicable to businesses with just a few employees. Links to these state laws are available at https://www.workplacefairness.org/ disability-discrimination-state-law.


Maternity Leave


Most veterinary practices do not offer paid mater- nity leave. In fact, in the United States, 88% of women do not receive any paid time off after giving birth, and 25% return to work within 2 weeks of giving birth.8 The disability after a vaginal birth is considered to be 6 weeks, and a C-section, 8 weeks. There is an increased risk of injury when returning to work before this time. You may wish to take out a short-term disability insurance policy if you plan to become pregnant in the future and are not covered under your employ- er’s policy. Pregnancy, as well as the postpartum period, is one of the most commonly covered “dis- abilities” that prevent an employee from working. Carefully evaluate the coverage you are purchas- ing to be sure it fulfills your needs. Typically, short-term disability leave policies cover 6 weeks of pay at some percentage (up to 100% depending on your policy) for a vaginal birth and 8 weeks of pay for a Caesarean birth. Inquire of your practice owner whether you can accumulate unused vacation time from the previous year to use in the current year for a maternity leave. If not, at least try to save all your paid time off for your leave. Begin saving some of each paycheck for a year before your delivery. Just $50 a week will add up to $2600 in a year. Every little bit will help. Consider your budget for each month’s expenses and make a financial plan for your anticipated length of maternity leave. Because you can’t be certain whether health issues for you or your baby will arise, try to be generous in your planning. With the current difficulty that practices are hav-


ing in finding and keeping veterinarians, leave pol- icies may change in the veterinary industry. If you expect to have a family, inquire about maternity leave policies before accepting a position. If you are currently working at a practice with no paid mater- nity leave, consider negotiating for some. Remain-


362 2020  Vol. 66  AAEP PROCEEDINGS


ing healthy with minimal injuries will allow you to stay in the career for the long haul.


Planning Your Return to Work


Because you cannot anticipate how you or your baby will fare after birth, keep all discussions about the length of your maternity leave tentative. Be honest about your intention to return in a certain time frame but be clear that this could be limited by health concerns. If it is your health that is im- paired, and your doctor has not cleared you to return to work, you will be considered disabled. Then you must be treated as any other disabled employee would be treated. If your baby has health concerns, perhaps you can return to work on a modified sched- ule or delay your return. The individual circum- stances of the practice will dictate what is possible. If at all possible, plan to return part-time at first


for at least a few weeks, to allow both you and the baby to adjust. You are much more likely to be injured or have an auto accident when you are sleep deprived. If you are generally in the on-call sched- ule, see if you can return to it just 1 night a week at first. But remember, your team members have probably been picking up extra shifts in your ab- sence, and their patience may be wearing thin. Practices with many childless employees are often less willing to accommodate the inconvenience of a maternity leave with grace. Express your appreci- ation for their sacrifice. Even though they may be drawing more pay for more work, there’s a good chance they would rather have the time off. Re- member this as you adjust to your new life with a child and try to express your respect for their need for time away from the practice, giving it equal weight to the time you need for your family.


3. Conclusion


Educate yourself about the risks in your workday and the common hardships of pregnancy. Deter- mine what areas concern you most. Most employ- ers will be understanding, but not all. The practice will be affected for about a year with each preg- nancy, and as the child grows, the company may be affected further with childhood illnesses, doctor’s appointments and school events. Some family- oriented practices celebrate those parts of life, and others don’t. Remember that you have many choices. It is your responsibility to shape the life you want to lead.


Acknowledgments


Declaration of Ethics The Author has adhered to the Principles of Veteri- nary Medical Ethics of the AVMA.


Conflict of Interest The Author has no conflicts of interest.


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