Work it: How to approach tough issues on the job

Women in the workplace must overcome some obstacles that men never have to worry about, such as pregnancy and perhaps discrimination. The recurring advice Diane Howard, attorney at Limbaugh Law Firm in Cape Girardeau, gives to career women is to use the values of honesty and trust. "Trust is the foundation of every relationship we have," whether they are relationships with family, friends or employees, she says.

Women "opt in and opt out" of the workforce more often than men, says Howard, because they often are balancing their home and work lives. Issues associated with the common balancing act of family and work may cause female employees to place personal needs above the needs of their work positions. "I think women would be naive if they didn't think that causes discrimination concerns," Howard says.

Potential employers are conscious of such issues, especially regarding female candidates in childbearing age and how that may affect a more demanding position, she says. A male candidate with a "few less balls in the air" may be more appealing as a job candidate versus a woman with the same qualifications. Something that can help ease the reality of the situation is honest communication between female employees and their male supervisors, Howard suggests.

Pregnancy in the workplace

A woman's future plans considering her commitment to a workplace position should be voiced to her superior, Howard says. "You're not doing anyone any favors and acting that you're committed to many years before when indeed your plans are to start a family," she says.

Honesty comes into play once again, as a female employee may need their employer as a reference in the future, and dishonesty is not going to help in that situation, she says. Voicing options such as possible flex- or part-time positions in the event of pregnancy or a similar situation will allow a supervisor to know where their female employee stands, and the employee might be surprised to find that her supervisor in on board with the idea in that particular situation, Howard says.

As for when to tell an employer you are pregnant, Howard suggests when you are comfortable sharing the news outside your circle of close family and friends is a good time to break the news to your boss. Your employer should not be the last to know about your pregnancy, because -- coming back to being honest with your boss -- doing so would not be good trust building, she says.

Howard also suggests being honest about when or if you will be coming back to work after your baby is born. "An employee should not be hesitant in discussing any medical condition that might require accommodation," she says, and pregnancy is considered a disability and is protected as one.

Asking for a raise

Employers often take a large financial risk and entrust nearly everything with their employees, Howard says, which involves a great deal of trust and faith.

An employee who shows their appreciation for the business and is able to prove they will not squander the investment their employer made in the business says a lot, and they should be recognized for doing such, she says. "Good employees are hard to come by," Howard says. "They're a cherished commodity."

Being able to acknowledge such and showing that you are worthy for a raise is key, she says, because most employers wish to acknowledge your hard work as an employee. A good female employee should pitch herself for a raise the same as a good male employee, Howard says. To do otherwise would be a disservice to herself. "Your value to the employer is what your pitch ought to be ... without regard to gender," she says.

Sexual harassment

Sexual harassment has been an issue in the workplace and still is, though women today do not feel as compelled to engage in romantic relations to advance in work positions as they did in years past, Howard says.

However, women do fall victim to a hostile work environment in the sense of offensive speech, gestures, jokes or remarks. "More women report these things than they used to," Howard says. More employers also are aware of sexual harassment, and it is beginning to fade away, she says.

"Maybe with time that issue will also become so obviously inappropriate it would be hard for people to imagine it was a serious problem in the workplace," Howard says.

Though men have become more educated about acceptable and non-acceptable behavior, women need to be comfortable with contributing to those efforts and speaking out when they feel they are working in a hostile work environment, Howard says.

Male colleagues need to continue being supportive of their female co-workers, complaints need to be continued to be made, and employers need to support those complaints and take appropriate action, she says.

Once a female employee is hired, gets her foot in the door and is able to prove herself and demonstrate her value to the workplace, unfair treatment should not be as much of a concern, Howard says.

Everyone has lives outside work -- men and women -- and everyone will encounter challenges that rock their work-life balance, she says. Women are not the only ones who are going to have those challenges.