Policing while pregnant: examining the need for standardized pregnancy-related work accommodations for women in policing

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study used a survey to gather information regarding workplace accommodations for pregnant police officers and the experiences of women who have worked under these policies. Thirty-six current and former female police officers from Canada and the United States were included in this analysis (including 24 who had been pregnant, and one who was currently pregnant at the time of participation). Eleven respondents who had never been pregnant were also included to control for work-related pain scores (rather than pregnancy-related pain scores) and to gather more entries with respect to departmental pregnancy policies. Experience with on-the-job pregnancy accommodations varied, with some expressing satisfaction with their accommodations, while others were deeply dissatisfied. Results suggest that blanket policies requiring pregnancy-related reassignment to light-duty does not consistently relieve pregnancy-related discomfort and may not always benefit the female officer. Officers indicated that improved policies may be a solution to retain and recruit female officers.