Surviving and Thriving in Surviving and Thriving in the Workplace: the Workplace: Post doc Parent s Post doc Parent s Je ssic a L e e , JD Sta ff Atto rne y L e e Je ssic a @ uc ha sting s.e d u @ Pre g na ntSc ho la r
PIPELINE
TWICE AS MANY CHANGE CAREER GOAL
Postdoc Parent Study Postdoc Parent Study T T wo surve ys: wo surve ys: 66 institutions 66 institutions 800+ births or adoptions 800+ births or adoptions
Parental Lea Parental Lea arental Leave arental Leave Wha t d o e s le a ve lo o k like in pra c tic e ?
Maternity Leave: Practice 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% No Paid Maternity Leave No Paid Time Off No Time Off of Any Kind Inst. Employee Inst. Trainee Ind. Funded Ext. Funded Pregnancy, Parenting, and Postdocs Please Don’t Fire My Patient
Paternity Leave: Practice 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% No Paid Paternity Leave No Paid Time Off No Time Off of Any Kind Inst. Employee Inst. Trainee Ind. Funded Ext. Funded Pregnancy, Parenting, and Postdocs Please Don’t Fire My Patient
“I felt guilty/ like I was putting my “I felt guilty/ like I was putting my advisor out by taking extra time. If advisor out by taking extra time. If there was an official policy for leave there was an official policy for leave or unpaid leave while keeping or unpaid leave while keeping insurance, I would have taken more insurance, I would have taken more time to recover.” time to recover.” Po std o c Mo the r
Maternity Leave: In Practice Who asks for leave? • 91% of white postdocs • 84% of Asian postdocs • 80% of URM postdocs Pregnancy, Parenting, and Postdocs Please Don’t Fire My Patient
Maternity Leave: In Practice What is the response to leave request? Response of the PI to postdoc taking/requesting maternity leave Discouraged Leave Neutral/No Impact Encouraged Leave 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% URM Asian White Pregnancy, Parenting, and Postdocs Please Don’t Fire My Patient
“He visited me at the “He visited me at the hospital and said ‘So what hospital and said ‘So what about 2-3 weeks and you will about 2-3 weeks and you will be back?’” be back?’” Po std o c Bio lo g ist
Paternity Leave: In Practice Who asks for and is granted leave? 100% 95% 94% 88% 90% 80% 70% 60% 60% 50% 50% 40% 36% 30% 20% 10% 0% Seeking leave Granted leave White Asian URM Pregnancy, Parenting, and Postdocs Please Don’t Fire My Patient
“my boss said that he had no more “my boss said that he had no more funding and said so sorry about that. funding and said so sorry about that. [… [… ] I was actually fired and could not ] I was actually fired and could not come back after the delivery.” come back after the delivery.” Po std o c Mo the r
Parental Lea Parental Lea rental Leave rental Leave Wha t is the la w o n le a ve ?
Mat Mat Maternity Lea Maternity Lea rnity Leave: The La rnity Leave: The La e: The Law on Lea e: The Law on Lea w on Leave w on Leave F F o r T o r T ra ine e s ra ine e s F F o r E o r E mplo ye e s mplo ye e s T T itle I itle I X o r T X o r T itle VI itle VI I I g o ve rns g o ve rns T T itle I itle I X g o ve rns X g o ve rns L L e a ve fo r “re a so na b le pe rio d o f e a ve fo r “re a so na b le pe rio d o f L L e a ve fo r a t le a st “a s lo ng a s e a ve fo r a t le a st “a s lo ng a s time ” (T time ” (T itle I itle I X) o r, X) o r, me d ic a lly ne c e ssa ry” o r, me d ic a lly ne c e ssa ry” o r, L L e a ve g ive n to o the rs with e a ve g ive n to o the rs with te mpo ra ry d isa b ility (T te mpo ra ry d isa b ility (T itle I itle I X a nd X a nd L L e a ve g ive n to o the rs with e a ve g ive n to o the rs with T T itle VI itle VI I I ) ) te mpo ra ry d isa b ility te mpo ra ry d isa b ility F F o r e lig ib le e mplo ye e s: o r e lig ib le e mplo ye e s: F F ML ML A 12 we e ks o f unp a id le a ve A 12 we e ks o f unp a id le a ve Sta te pro te c tio ns Sta te pro te c tio ns F o r e ithe r: No pe na lty, re trib utio n, o r thre a ts o f re trib utio n fo r ta king le a ve T itle I X (traine e s and e mplo ye e s), T itle VI I (e mplo ye e s), F ML A (e lig ible e mplo ye e s), ADA/ S e c tio n 504
Paternity Lea Paternity Lea rnity Leave: The La rnity Leave: The La e: The Law on Lea e: The Law on Lea w on Leave w on Leave F F o r T o r T ra ine e s ra ine e s F F o r E o r E mplo ye e s mplo ye e s No d isc rimina tio n (T No d isc rimina tio n (T No d isc rimina tio n (T No d isc rimina tio n (T itle I itle I X) X) itle I itle I X, T X, T itle itle VI VI I I ) ) F F o r e lig ib le e mplo ye e s: o r e lig ib le e mplo ye e s: F F ML ML A 12 we e ks o f unpa id A 12 we e ks o f unpa id le a ve le a ve Sta te pro te c tio ns Sta te pro te c tio ns F o r e ithe r: No pe na lty, re trib utio n, o r thre a ts o f re trib utio n fo r ta king le a ve re la te d to se x ste re o typing T itle I X (traine e s and e mplo ye e s), T itle VI I (e mplo ye e s), o r fo r taking F ML A (e lig ible e mplo ye e s).
Institutional Suppor Institutional Suppor ts: ts: Childc ar Childc ar e e Ho w d o e s c hild c a re a c c e ssib ility impa c t the po std o c e xpe rie nc e ?
Child Care: Availability 29% of postdocs reported being eligible for on campus childcare 6% reported having access to some form of childcare funding assistance Pregnancy, Parenting, and Postdocs Please Don’t Fire My Patient
Child Care: Accessibility Child Care: Accessibility “Well over 75% of my NIH-level salary went to “Well over 75% of my NIH-level salary went to pay childcare expenses. This is outrageous, pay childcare expenses. This is outrageous, and it's really no mystery why so many and it's really no mystery why so many mothers in biology quit.” mothers in biology quit.” “A child care subsidy would be a nice gesture. “A child care subsidy would be a nice gesture. Currently, to put my child in the university Currently, to put my child in the university daycare would cost 90% of my take home daycare would cost 90% of my take home salary.” salary.”
Child Care: Impact on Work 40% requested flexible schedules 26% requested occasional work from home Without the family ‐ friendly accommodations, an engineer would “strongly consider leaving”, a neuroscientist “would not have been able to continue” and a biochemist “would just have to quit.” Pregnancy, Parenting, and Postdocs Please Don’t Fire My Patient
Institutional Suppor Institutional Suppor ts: ts: PI R PI R e sponse e sponse Wha t wa s the PI re spo nse to po std o c s’ ne w pa re ntho o d , a nd ho w d id it impa c t the a ppo intme nt?
PI Response: Overall Impact Characterized PI Response as “Unsupportive” 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Men Women White Asian URM Pregnancy, Parenting, and Postdocs Please Don’t Fire My Patient
PI Response: Overall Impact Negative Impact of PI on Overall Experience 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Men Women White Asian URM Pregnancy, Parenting, and Postdocs Please Don’t Fire My Patient
A Tale of Two Postdocs A Tale of Two Postdocs “[PI] prematurely “[PI] prematurely “My PI's response made “My PI's response made withdrew funding from withdrew funding from me feel like I could stay me feel like I could stay my contracted position to my contracted position to in science while having a in science while having a fund another postdoc fund another postdoc family. He told me I family. He told me I soon after I returned soon after I returned could, over and over could, over and over from work. To this day, from work. To this day, again; even when I again; even when I he continues to refer to he continues to refer to doubted myself” doubted myself” my children as my my children as my “constraints.” “constraints.”
R R e c omme ndations e c omme ndations Do Yo ur Re se a rc h! Do Yo ur Re se a rc h!
Postdocs: Do Your Research Before accepting an appointment: • Ask around—what is the PI's reputation? • Identify colleagues—are there women in the lab? Are there parents? How long have they been there? Pregnancy, Parenting, and Postdocs Please Don’t Fire My Patient
Postdocs: Do Your Research, Part II • Research childcare options • Use “cost of living” calculators and include child • Request information on institutional and funder leave and disability policies • Request information on sick days and other short paid time off • Make a timeline for best, average, and worst ‐ case scenario Pregnancy, Parenting, and Postdocs Please Don’t Fire My Patient
Postdocs: Do Your Research, Part II • Identify funding opportunities: National Institutes of Health (NIH): 60 days (8 work weeks) of time off for parental leave. NIH grantees are also eligible to adjust the amount of work completed on their program. National Science Foundation 3 months of additional funding to cover a temporary researcher, capped at a salary of $12,000 (plus the cost of benefits). (Funding for you and a temp.) Pregnancy, Parenting, and Postdocs Please Don’t Fire My Patient
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