If your business is in the middle of the hiring process, it's important to know how a candidate who is expecting will impact your workplace in the future.

There are laws that protect pregnant employees from recruitment discrimination, but there are also some factors you have to consider when hiring qualified candidates who are soon-to-be mothers.

When it comes to hiring with a baby on board, here are just a few ways pregnancy impacts your business:

Pregnancy Discrimination

Discrimination of any kind is forbidden in the workplace, including pregnancy discrimination. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act, or PDA, states that employers cannot make any employment decisions based on whether an employee is pregnant. 

This includes hiring decisions as well as promotions, layoffs, health insurance benefits, and salary adjustments. Before beginning the recruitment process, it's important to familiarize your hiring management team with the laws and requirements set forth by the PDA.

Put Experience First

Simply put, a potential employee's pregnancy should not affect your recruitment process whatsoever. There are some changes you'll need to make as time goes on, but the interviewing process should largely go unchanged.

It is up to the employee to tell you they're pregnant regardless of how far along they are.

The only facts you need to be concerned with during the recruitment stage are the candidate's work experience and résumé. If the candidate is qualified for the job at hand, then that should be more than enough for a job offer.

What Employers Need to Know

There are a few factors that will eventually impact your business by hiring a pregnant employee.

As the following article shows, “Health insurance and pregnancy” for example, is something you're business will need to consider in the future. If you have a shared insurance premium with your employees, rates will reflect maternity costs for both you and your employee.

Likewise, your business will also need to have a plan in place when maternity leave comes into play.

You are required to offer 12 weeks of paid or partially paid maternity leave to employees that have worked for your business for more than a year. This will impact your business's workforce and efficiency for a short time.

Be Proactive

To avoid any pitfalls when an employee takes maternity leave, it's important to take a proactive approach. Filling positions with short-term, part-time employees can help fill the absence gap and ensure your business isn't negatively impacted.

In addition, if a potential employee chooses to bring up their pregnancy during the recruitment process, it's important to make sure you handle the news with a proactive spirit.

Instead of thinking about how the pregnancy will affect your business, you should make sure the employee knows you're thinking about their wants and needs.

Besides, if the candidate is more than qualified for the position, you wouldn't want them walking away because they feel like a hindrance to your business.

Think Big Picture

At the end of the day, a pregnant employee isn't a setback for your business.

If you're hiring for a long-term position, then a three-month maternity leave is just a blip in the radar. In other words, keeping in mind the big picture during the hiring process will ensure you hire the best candidate for the job regardless of their pregnancy status.

When you're ready to begin hiring, keep in mind the pregnant employee pointers above.

Photo credit: Image courtesy of patrisyu at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About the Author: Adam Groff is a freelance writer and creator of content. He writes on a variety of topics including recruitment and human resources.