we don’t promote new mothers” — how would you handle this?
Hi everyone,
I’m in a bit of a difficult situation and could use some perspective.
I was due for a promotion this year. My manager and senior manager have repeatedly told me I’m a strong asset to the team and have even been the ones planting the idea of promotion in my mind over the past year. I currently handle a lot of critical responsibilities, and there’s significant dependency on my role.
Recently, the company announced that due to industry and financial pressures, promotions are being stalled across the board.
However, I’m also going on maternity leave mid-year. I had an honest conversation with my manager and senior manager to understand what this means for my promotion timeline.
During that discussion, senior management explicitly said: “We don’t promote new mothers.”
I was honestly shocked. It’s 2026, and this came from someone who himself became a father a couple of years ago.
I’m trying to figure out how to navigate this. I don’t want to burn bridges, but I also feel this was clearly inappropriate and possibly discriminatory.