You’re not imagining it. Pregnancy discrimination is real.

Sometimes, a firmly held belief I have is validated by an outside source. And usually, this makes me feel vindicated and relieved. But on occasion, a closely held belief is proven to be true, and the result is that I am angry and disgusted. Such was the case when I read this article in the New York Times. I always knew that women were routinely and blatantly discriminated against in the workplace for becoming mothers. The article in the Times provides empirical evidence supporting this belief, and it is simultaneously both shocking and not surprising.

We know that women are paid, on average, 28% less than their male counterparts. What is not factored into that equation are the varied non-quantified ways in which women in the workforce are forced to work for less. Consider the fact that, as the Times reports, pregnant women and mothers are steered away from high-profile assignments and are slighted at bonus season. The investigation found that each child a woman has reduces her earnings by 4%. In contrast, each child a man has increases his earnings by 6%.

There certainly are women who choose to step back from their careers to focus on their families. And there is the whole other issue of the lack of access to quality, affordable childcare in the US. (As an aside, it is worth noting that the US remains the only developed country that does not have a mandatory paid parental leave policy.) But for women who do wish to continue working and progressing in their careers, getting pregnant and having a child creates an involuntary setback.

Pregnant women and women with children are routinely passed over for promotions and are often told outright that they are no longer valued members of their teams. There has been ample non-partisan scholarship on this subject, and the conclusion is unanimous. In Corporate America, becoming pregnant and having children is viewed as a liability.

Women represent more than half of the American workforce. Is it a good management strategy to alienate and to abuse half of your employees? Of course not. And to change this, a cultural shift needs to take place at the highest levels of management. While I will agree that the reasons for gender discrimination are quite complex—societal and cultural norms, historical contexts, individual family backgrounds, and experiences—the solution to ending discrimination is easy. Create a culture that does not discriminate against women on the basis of their gender. Pregnancy and motherhood are statuses which exist only on the basis of one’s gender. Just stop it, and pay people fairly and equitably.

The US loves to tout its focus on “family values.” But until Corporate America truly accepts that the typical American family comes in many different forms and that the two kids, mom at home, suburban lifestyle is the exception and not the rule, the concept of “family values” will ring hollow. If this country really wants to support families, business leaders need to step up and advocate for women in terms of equal pay, fair opportunity, access to resources, and support for parents of both genders.