Pregnancy Discrimination Is a Family Affair: Examining Crossover Effects in Couples

Abstract

Research consistently finds that workplace discrimination is harmful for employees. However, less is known about how these stressful experiences may affect employees' family members. This question is particularly salient in the context of pregnancy discrimination, given rising claims and the prevalence of dual-earner couples. Across two studies, we examine the consequences of pregnancy discrimination for both expectant mothers and their spouses. First, in a four-wave study of expectant heterosexual couples, we test whether pregnancy discrimination affects not only women's career motivation and exhaustion via changes in work self-efficacy, but also crosses over to influence their spouses' career and health outcomes. Second, to replicate and strengthen the causality of the work self-efficacy crossover effect, we conduct a pre-registered vignette experiment where we manipulate women's work self-efficacy and compare spouses' work self-efficacy across experimental groups. Importantly, the vignettes were informed by qualitative interviews with 20 male spouses, which revealed how women's workplace experiences and self-efficacy are communicated and observed within couples during pregnancy. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.