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The Unspoken Penalties of Pregnancy and Caregiving
at Work

April 1st, 2026

9-10 AM PT

Deborah Hanus

CEO & Cofounder, Sparrow

Mita Mallick

Wall Street Journal Best Selling author & workplace strategist

Despite organizations’ best intentions, many caregivers still face unspoken penalties at work when navigating pregnancy, parental leave, and return‑to‑work transitions. Conversations about caregiving continue to challenge even the most progressive cultures, often revealing hidden gaps between policy and lived experience.

Jon Sparrow CEO and Cofounder Deborah Hanus as she hosts Mita Mallick, Wall Street Journal Best Selling author and workplace strategist, for an intimate fireside chat on the quiet ways workplaces undermine caregivers and how HR leaders can change that story.

Mita will share what it feels like when pregnancy announcements are met with skepticism, promotions quietly stall, and leave returns are treated like vacations. Deborah will connect those experiences to the process gaps that leave managers unsupported and employees vulnerable.

What You'll Learn:

How pregnancy and caregiving bias show up through policies, culture, and everyday interactions.

Ways to identify and close process gaps that unintentionally disadvantage caregivers.

Reflective questions HR leaders can use to guide manager training and culture audits.

Strategies to create equitable, trust‑based leave experiences for all caregivers.

HR and People leaders will leave with reflective questions to help them audit their culture, coach managers with confidence, and design leave experiences that build trust and equity for mothers, parents, and caregivers.

As a special offer, receive a complimentary copy of Mita Mallick’s bestseller The Devil Emails at Midnight: What Good Leaders Can Learn From Bad Bosses—available to all attendees who register and join the live webinar.