Because pregnancy may be stigmatized and is potentially concealable for a substantial
amount of time, pregnant workers likely face complex disclosure decisions. Pregnant workers
may be hesitant to tell others about their pregnancy because of the stigma associated with
that status, but may also be compelled to reveal their pregnancy to take advantage of valuable
resources, a predicament often referred to as the “disclosure dilemma,” whereby targets
attempt to balance two competing motives, authenticity and self-protection (King & Botsford,
2009). Thus, pregnant workers face critical decisions about how, when, and to whom they
disclose their pregnancies at work.