A DIFFICULT SITUATION
Janet was employed as a graphic designer at a very successful advertising
company. She had worked there for two years, when she was offered a promotion
to become head of the graphic solutions department. She was obviously very
happy when she heard of her promotion. However, she was also rather concerned
as she had also recently found out that she was pregnant. In the past, other
women who had had children had found it difficult to continue working full time.
Later that day, she asked her husband what he thought she should do. He felt that
she should first accept the promotion and then, a few months later, tell her
employers about her pregnancy. In this way, her husband felt, she would not
jeopardize her promotion. Janet wasn't so sure this was a good suggestion, as she
felt that it might be dishonest of her to not let her employers know about the
change in her condition. She telephoned her best friend, who had also had the
same problem previously, and asked for her advice. Cheryl, her best friend, asked
her if she felt that she would be able to continue working as hard after the birth of
her child as she had been working up to that point in time. Janet assured her that
this was the case and so her friend told her to trust her husband's judgment.