Policies and practice regarding pregnancy and maternity leave: An international survey
Career advancement; International surgeon; Maternity leave; Pregnancy; Women surgeon
BACKGROUND: As women become a larger part of the surgical workforce, policies surrounding maternity and parental leave play a role in professional practice. Little is known about leave policies worldwide. METHODS: A de novo survey distributed internationally to women surgeons assessed leave polices for surgeons, inclusive of the regulatory body or source of applicable policies, changes in surgical practice due to pregnancy, and duration of leave for both parents. RESULTS: The 1111 survey respondents in 53 different countries describe diverse policies ranging from loss of operating room privileges early in pregnancy to maintenance of full surgical schedules until term delivery. Policy creators include national governments (42.38%), employers/hospitals (60.46%), supervisors (18.06%). Self-determined (9.12%), and unknown (8.7%). Paid parental leave was available to 64.44% of women surgeons and 38.68% of partners. CONCLUSION: Maternity and parental leave policies vary markedly across the global surgical workforce with implications for professional practice.
Walsh Danielle S; Gantt Nancy L; Irish William; Sanfey Hilary A; Stein Sharon L
American Journal of Surgery
2019
2019-07
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjsurg.2019.07.009" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1016/j.amjsurg.2019.07.009</a>
Surgeon Experience with Parental Leave Policies Varies Based on Practice Setting.
BACKGROUND: The increase in female surgeons has resulted in scrutiny of widely variable parental leave policies. We hypothesized that academic and private practice surgeons have different experiences based on difference in workplace expectations. METHODS: A 25-question survey was disseminated via social media and through the Association of Women Surgeons social media platforms from June 1 to September 15, 2017. An analysis of attending surgeons working in the USA in an academic or private practice setting was performed. RESULTS: Of 1115 total respondents, 477 were attending surgeons practicing in the USA. Practice distribution was 34% private and 47% academic. There was no difference in marital status, work status, or the number who report having been pregnant between the groups. Compared to academic surgeons, private practice surgeons were statistically less likely to have paid leave (p < 0.001) and were more likely to continue to pay benefits while on leave (p < 0.001). Private practitioners were more likely to return to work sooner than desired due to financial (p = 0.022) and supervisor (p = 0.004) pressures and were more likely to leave a job (p = 0.01). Academic surgeons were more likely to experience a delay in job advancement (p = 0.031). On multivariate analysis, more than two pregnancies were associated with an increased risk of perception of a bias and discrimination against pregnancy in the workplace. CONCLUSIONS: Parental leave policies and attitudes vary between academic and private practice, creating unique challenges for female surgeons and different issues for family planning depending on employment model.
Bingmer Katherine; Walsh Danielle S; Gantt Nancy L; Sanfey Hilary A; Stein Sharon L
World journal of surgery
2020
2020-03
Article information provided for research and reference use only. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
Journal Article
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1007/s00268-020-05447-9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1007/s00268-020-05447-9</a>