Every stage of pregnancy, from conception to morning sickness to well checks, becomes easier when you and your spouse aren’t both at your respective

Remote Work Created a Baby Boom. Can We Keep It Up? - Commonplace

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2025-01-17 16:00:05

Every stage of pregnancy, from conception to morning sickness to well checks, becomes easier when you and your spouse aren’t both at your respective offices full-time. So, statistically, my workplace wasn’t the only one with some late-notice pregnancy announcements toward the end of 2020.

When white-collar workers were all still Zooming (or, écrasez l’infâme, Microsoft Teams-ing), it was much easier for an expectant mom to hide pregnancy symptoms until much later than would have been noticed in an office environment. Some women were even able to not just conceal a pandemic-era pregnancy but give birth to a secret COVID baby without their colleagues being any the wiser. Take a few days off, make sure you’re on mute during the next check-in, and before you know it, baby will be old enough to help code those TPS reports.

America’s abrupt introduction to widespread remote work created a more pro-natal and parent-friendly work environment. Employees were no longer expected to, and often couldn’t, leave their identity as a parent at the door. Conference calls with Paw Patrol softly piping through the background became commonplace. Commutes became less onerous. Jobs that once were thought to require 40 hours a week in person turned out not to—though whether they can sustainably subsist on zero hours a week in person remains to be seen.