On Monday the news spread about Marissa Meyer being appointed CEO of Yahoo!. Then that she was pregnant. To this combination some have asked why it should be news, or why it should even be a good thing as surely it would mean she’ll take less maternity leave.
As many of us 30+ something women have experienced, thinking about your career at this age is slightly different than thinking about your career when you’re in your 20-ies. If you don’t yet have any kids you know that people are going to think that soon you will. And you yourself, if you want kids, know that yes, soon you will. Though employers aren’t allowed to discriminate and not offer you a job because of that, the worry can still be there that your age and status might mean that you’ll be seen in less positive light from a potential future employer’s point of view.
The other side to it is that you start thinking a bit more yourself about your choices. E.g. if you should leave your current job or stay. Rules and packages at work around maternity leave plays a big role for a lot of people. As many companies (in the UK) require you to work for at least 2 years before you get the full coverage, that both serves as positive keeping women in their jobs, but also stops others who want to leave from leaving. Due to all of this I think it’s great that Marissa has been appointed CEO despite being a woman in her 30ies and pregnant. As one of the early posts said with regards to the news around Marissa’s appointment…
It’s exciting and inspiring to see people who are working incredibly hard in their professional lives while also having growth on the personal side, too.
From the TechCrunch article Marissa Mayer: The First Ever Pregnant CEO Of A Fortune 500 Tech Company?
As for her new role as CEO and what that will mean for her maternity leave – that’s her and her family’s business. Sometimes your dreams come true at once and that’s just the way it is.
Tomorrow – Day 201 | Inspiring life stories
Image source: www.flickr.com/photos/84568447@N00/3447889263
