Pregnant Employee Staying Late Due to Family Issues: How Should HR Handle This?

Dear Friends,

I am working in an MNC as an HR professional, and I am facing a strange problem. One of the lady executives (Team Lead) continues to stay until 11 to 11:30 pm almost every day, works on Saturday and Sunday, and she is 6 months pregnant. Once her husband called me and complained that she is being harassed by the company and made to work long hours, knowing that she is pregnant. He went to the extent of saying that he wants in writing that if anything happens to her, the company is responsible for it.

Further, I checked with her manager and inquired. He said that even though the workload is more, it is not to the extent of working until 11 pm almost every day. Then I called the lady executive and checked the reasons for staying late in the office. She replied that she is not interested in going home due to problems with her in-laws and other family members.

Dear friends, please advise on what needs to be done.

Regards,
Chandrashekar

This is a strange case. I have seen men working late in the office just to avoid crowded and unpleasant lodge rooms where they stay. It may happen that to avoid in-laws and bad treatment at home, married women may stay back at the office until midnight. From the organization's angle, you have nothing to do with their private life. However, if you have received a warning from the husband of the woman employee, you have to instruct her not to stay back at the office until night. In this case, the employee is pregnant as well. Therefore, it is better to give instructions accordingly.

Regards,
Madhu.T.K

Dear Chandrashekhar,

Obviously, it is her personal matter. No one can help or interfere in her family affairs. However, you can take one step by calling her husband at the office and discussing the issue with the Lady Executive present in a calm atmosphere.

Best regards,

Hi,

The problem is really strange. Though you cannot interfere in anybody's personal life, but because you got a warning from her husband's side, the better way is to talk calmly to him only about the same. Please share with us when you sort out the problem. Waiting eagerly for your reply.

Regards,
Shikha

Hi All,

Lady Executive should not be allowed to sit in the office for so many hours. Her husband should be called to the office, and counseling should be done on a priority basis with her spouse. If something happens to her while working late hours in the office, it will be considered as occurring during the course of employment. The company or organization will face trouble in such a situation.

Her husband should be informed that she is troubled by her in-laws, and a solution should be provided to address the issue.

Regards,

Nimish Joshi
9969526325

Dear Chandrashekher,

As an HR personnel, firstly, you should speak with her reporting person about her late stays in the office. Please advise her reporting person not to allow her to remain in this situation for long hours. If her reporting person is male, ideally, you should seek the assistance of another lady executive at the same or higher level. Advise her to resolve her personal issues with her husband.

Thank you.

Hi, I have been observing such issues every now and then. Let it be her private reasons. But there are certain policies/principles to be strictly followed by each organization and their employees.

In this case, neither does she have the pressure to stay long, nor does her manager insist on it. It's up to the HR personnel to ensure that people do not simply stay in the office to avoid such issues.

Imagine if a considerable number of employees follow this! It will have huge cost implications on the organization.

- Saravana Rajan.

Dear Chandrashekhar,

See if she has already explained why she is staying late in the office, even though she is pregnant. Her problem is genuine. In such a situation, any employee must show devotion and depend on each other, as we all have two aspects: personal life and working life on a daily basis. Now is the time to deal with such problems and prove what actual "HR" stands for.

We are no longer in the era of Personnel Management where we are not concerned about employees' personal lives. HRM is definitely meant to address that. You should not create an environment that could make her uncomfortable in your office. Due to her personal life, she feels comfortable in the workplace.

Questioning her, putting things in writing, or meeting with the boss can make her feel guilty in her work life. This may disturb her not only in her working life but also in her personal life. If one is disturbed in both aspects – working and personal life – it can be most embarrassing, especially during pregnancy. So, be careful.

Create a healthy and happy environment in your office around her. Engage in practices like sharing things with her colleagues. Speak separately with her husband to understand his perspective on home life and relationships. However, ensure that your junior employees are not aware of these practices. Organize presentations and seminars in the office with topics such as "Relaxation Increases Output," "Company Cares for Employees," and "Art of Living," among others.

Remember, you are not just impacting one employee's life but also the life of a future citizen of our nation.

I believe that for a month or two, these efforts will certainly help, and then she can take maternity leave. Following the ups and downs of human life, after the baby's delivery, may God bless her with healthy relationships with her in-laws and husband. A new life is crucial for all involved in this situation. After a baby arrives, many conflicts in a household often resolve themselves.

Wishing you all the best.

Regards,

Gaurav Arora

Hi,

Please have a look into these thoughts too. Most of the employees might not know why this female is staying for too long. They might think that the organization and the particular team lead do not care for others, especially when a person is pregnant. This is not a good sign for your organization. Of course, the lead might have known her personal issues and would have allowed her to do as per her wish. Even this is not correct, the lead must have brought this to your notice. Please educate your team leads too.

When her husband has gone to a level of complaining to you as harassment, please note that she would have been asked by their family members the reason for staying too long. Moreover, it is your responsibility to take care of your employees. Some people will not like discussing their personal matters with a stranger. Hence, this is not a healthy situation for her or for you. Please ask her:
1. Whether she needs counseling or whether her husband and family members need counseling.
2. Whether speaking to her husband will be acceptable to him. By this time, she should have judged her husband's character well.
3. Running away from problems is not going to help her in any way. She needs to face them.
4. Since this is her personal life, you can advise her to discuss with her parents and be with them until her delivery, where she feels comfortable, and her husband indirectly understands that she dislikes staying with his family members.

G Priya Maran

Dear Friends,

Thanks for the reply. The incident has taken a new turn. She stopped for 2 days and again continued, now asking her subordinates to stay along with her. When I took the matter up with her Manager and GM (who is in the US), they were happy with the work, as she is completing the projects ahead of schedule. Also, during the recession period, everyone is worried about the performance and output, rather than the person. Now her subordinates are staying late at night and completing the projects ahead of schedule. I feel the situation is going out of hand.

Regards,

Dear Chandrashekhar,

Asking a question... Do you have overtime, compensatory off, or any perks for late working, etc., schemes in your office?

Regards,
Gaurav Arora