Consciousness or safety? Gender issues in an internal selection process

Abstract The case addresses the situation experienced by Gustavo, manager of a team of six analysts in the financial department of a large public bank. One of the team’s senior analysts had been promoted to manager in another area, and he was faced with the need to choose one of his team’s full analysts for the position. After analyzing the candidates’ skills and profile, Gustavo was convinced that Clarice was the most prepared to take the job. At the same time, he knew that Clarice could become pregnant in the near future and, if that happened, due to a special medical condition, she would be absent for a year, including sick and maternity leave. Gustavo is therefore faced with a dilemma. Should he take into account only the candidate’s skills, or would it also be necessary to consider the repercussion among the other colleagues and the impact on the work of the entire team if she became pregnant soon after the promotion?