Pregnancy Loss at Work
Sometimes our bodies experience events that are complicated and difficult - and not necessarily compatible with how we, those we work for, and even society desires a certain neatness in relation to work.
This episode I speak with Dr Heidi Reed from Audencia Business School. Her research looks at Vulnerability and often draws on Ethics of Care. We talk about her research on and lived experience of pregnancy loss while employed.
We discuss how bodies that menstruate, get pregnant, become not pregnant, go through menopause, etc. can come to be perceived as too messy, too tricky, and too taboo to deal with in a work space. We reflect on what consequences that may have for the person experiencing loss, as well as those around them. We also discuss the potential for doing things differently, particularly in the face of a rapidly changing Future of Work.
References
Reed, H. (2025). I can('t) talk about it at work: Stigma entanglement and the Epistemic vulnerability paradox. Gender Work and Organization, 33(2), 367–378. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.70044
If you don't have Wiley access, request access to the paper here
Pregnancy Loss Research Group (HR toolkit and other resources)
Scheibmayr, Isabella. 2024. “Organizing Vulnerability Exploring Judith Butler's Conceptualization of Vulnerability to Study Organizations.”Gender, Work & Organization31(4): 1385–1408. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.13103.