Family Responsive Policies and Employee Retention Following Childbirth

Abstract

This article reports on a study that examined the effects of working conditions and employer policies on womens decisions to continue change or leave employment after childbirth. After a brief introduction the background of the study is illuminated by a review of recent studies on the important effect on subsequent job status of maintaining employer continuity. Next a theoretical model of work-place causes that motivate postpartum employee turnover is proposed that links exogenous personal characteristics organizational characteristics and family responsive employment conditions to turnover. The study methodology is then described as relying on a community sample of 324 pregnant women who were employed at least 20 hours/week during the first trimester of pregnancy. Data were collected via interviews from September 1991 through May 1992 and from follow-up questionnaires at 6 and 12 months postpartum. Respondents were categorized according to whether they continued changed or left employment and data were analyzed using the independent variables of family background human capital employment organization and family responsiveness. Results are presented for descriptive data a multivariate analysis of postpartum turnover and an analysis of the 167 respondents with a first birth. The 70% retention rates at 6 months postpartum found in this study led to the conclusion that postpartum turnover rates are not as severe as is often suggested. Job retention was increased in the presence of supportive employment policies and of social support from supervisors and coworkers.