Policing while pregnant: examining the need for standardized pregnancy-related work accommodations for women in policing

ABSTRACT

This study used a survey to gather information regarding workplace accommodations for pregnant police officers and the experiences of women who have worked under these policies. Thirty-six current and former female police officers from Canada and the United States were included in this analysis (including 24 who had been pregnant, and one who was currently pregnant at the time of participation). Eleven respondents who had never been pregnant were also included to control for work-related pain scores (rather than pregnancy-related pain scores) and to gather more entries with respect to departmental pregnancy policies. Experience with on-the-job pregnancy accommodations varied, with some expressing satisfaction with their accommodations, while others were deeply dissatisfied. Results suggest that blanket policies requiring pregnancy-related reassignment to light-duty does not consistently relieve pregnancy-related discomfort and may not always benefit the female officer. Officers indicated that improved policies may be a solution to retain and recruit female officers.

KEYWORDS:

• Police officer
• law enforcement
• job accommodation
• light-duty

Acknowledgments

This research study was made possible through the support and direction of my research mentors and advisors. Thank you for guiding me through the process. I would also like to thank and acknowledge the police officers who provided their expertise, knowledge, support, and participation in this research study.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/15614263.2022.2105333.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

No sources of funding were used to assist in the preparation of this manuscript.

Notes on contributors

Cathy G. Sceli

Cathy G. Sceli completed her Master of Science at Oakland University, Michigan. She has been an active Certified Exercise Physiologist with the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), a Canadian Registered Cardiology Technologist (CSCT) for over 30 years, a Certified Cardiac Technician (CCI) and a Certified Medical Assistant with the American Medical Technologist (AMT). Cathy currently is a professor in the Cardiovascular Technology program at Algonquin College in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Kathryn M. Rougeau

Kathryn M. Rougeau completed her PhD in Kinesiology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her experience in health & wellness expands to worksite wellness, employee health/fitness, hospital & rehabilitative fitness, as well as disability wellness. Dr. Rougeau maintains certifications in personal training through the American College of Sports Medicine, as well as her Certified Wellness Practitioner certification through the National Wellness Institute. Her areas of interest are inclusive wellness for diverse populations as well as the mind-body effects of physical activity.

Tara L. Diesbourg

Tara L. Diesbourg is a board-certified ergonomist and a registered kinesiologist. She earned her Honours Bachelor of Human Kinetics and her Master of Human Kinetics degrees with a focus on Movement Science from the University of Windsor in Windsor, Ontario. She completed her PhD in Kinesiology with a focus on Occupational Biomechanics and Ergonomics at Queen’s University. She has extensive experience in ergonomics program implementation and management, having completed ergonomics assessments for Queen’s University, the Kingston Police Department, the Canadian Federal Government and Department of National Defense of Canada. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor in the Environmental Health and Safety Program at Oakland University where she teaches courses about OSHA Regulations, Leadership, and Ergonomics. Dr. Diesbourg’s research focuses on people and tasks that are often overlooked in ergonomics research. Of particular interest are aging workers, pregnant women, and people who spend the majority of their day seated.