These women were laid off on mat leave. It's legal-and a persistent issue
Women are increasingly facing layoffs while on maternity leave, a practice that remains legal in many instances. Experts note that this trend disproportionately affects women and is exacerbated by broader economic instability and occupational segregation.
Why it matters
It highlights systemic workplace inequality and the lack of legal protections for new mothers during vulnerable career periods.
It's never a good time to be laid off. Losing your job with a newborn can be especially hard.
Jess Mayhugh got the call from HR while sitting on her couch at home with her newborn son nearby. Just six weeks postpartum and on the early side of her four months of planned maternity leave, the Baltimore-based media professional says she learned her role was being eliminated in the latest round of layoffs at her company.
"I remember looking over at my son and just having this pang of guilt [thinking]: I'm not going to know if I can take care of him," Mayhugh, 40, tells CNBC Make It.
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