It will be very challenging to change society's perception of women, pregnancy, and maternity leave, if women themselves feel uncomfortable with their legal right to interview and accept a job while pregnant.
I am not trying to be unsympathetic towards businesses that are trying to fill job vacancies, only to be faced with a vacancy when a new hire goes on maternity leave or paternity leave. I do not run a business nor do I claim to know what that frustration is like. But employment laws exist for a reason. And women are already often at a disadvantage in the workforce, earning just 77 cents for every dollar men received in 2002, even when we have similar education, skills and experience, according to the AFL-CIO.
As Anonomous said, if a position has certain requirements, such as the need to be able to lift 25 pounds or be on-site for the first six months of employment, then an employer could choose not hire a pregnant woman. That is only because the woman does not meet the job requirements. That is like not hiring a reporter because he or she cannot type. It is not illegal; it is not discrimination. The person does not have the right skill-set for the job. On the flip side, a woman would need to disclose that she could not do those things during the hiring process.
That said, if a job really does not require lifting or being on-site, and the employer on said those things because he suspected the woman was pregnant, the employer is asking for a lawsuit. Pregnancy discrimination claims have jumped 40% from 1992 to 2003, even though the nation's birthrate fell by nine percent during that same period, according to the National Partnership for Women & Families.
Shying away from jobs, disclosing unnecessary personal information, or feeling deceptive because you are exercising your rights will likely make discrimination toward woman more prevalent and socially acceptable.
No comments:
Post a Comment