EEOC: Bias against pregnant workers persists
Pregnant workers still face the threat of firings and other discriminatory practices despite a federal law against such practices, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and an MSN report.
The EEOC pursued 20 cases last year against employers suspected of discriminating against pregnant workers, one more case than the year before. Claims filed by workers, however, are up about 15 percent from a decade ago and numbered nearly 5,800 last year, the agency says.
MSN cited a $1.64 million settlement that Akal Security Inc. reached with the government in 2010 after claims that the company, the largest provider of contract security services to the federal government, routinely forced pregnant employees working as guards on U.S. military bases to take a leave of absence or discharged them because of their pregnancy.
Discrimination can also include harassing pregnant workers. Low-wage pregnant workers, especially those who have few if any sick days, appear to be the most vulnerable, the report says.
The law states pregnancy discrimination involves treating a woman (an applicant or employee) unfavorably because of pregnancy, childbirth, or a medical condition related to pregnancy or childbirth. From the EEOC:
If a woman is temporarily unable to perform her job due to a medical condition related to pregnancy or childbirth, the employer or other covered entity must treat her in the same way as it treats any other temporarily disabled employee. For example, the employer may have to provide light duty, alternative assignments, disability leave, or unpaid leave to pregnant employees if it does so for other temporarily disabled employees.
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99 comments Add your comment
AN
February 16th, 2012
11:42 am
Other countries have such wonderful laws and policies related to pregnancy and maternity leave. It’s one of the areas in which the US just continues to fail behind.
Samantha
February 16th, 2012
12:45 pm
I agree with AN. In some other countries when a woman has a baby, they get paid time off for 18 months. You will NEVER see that in this bias country! It’s amazing how homosexuals have more rights than pregnant women! Sickening!
Staying the Course
February 16th, 2012
12:48 pm
20 cases in how many pregnancies? … that’s all? … and a Federal contractor is the main culprit. Seems like the EEOC is looking for funding … and a cause … more class welfare … rich vs poor … semi-rich vs semi-poor … ethnic groups vs ethnic groups … ah diversity … we ALL have more in common than in difference but the powers that are … exploit the differences.
Randy
February 16th, 2012
1:02 pm
Excuse me but pregnancy is a choice, not an illness. But I guess that’s why we are raising a generation of illiterate and unlearned children. Might also go to explain why unemployment is so high in this country with businesses being forced by our imperial federal government to hire extra employees they can’t afford to cover the hours those “sick” or pregnant women who are not on the job. Choices have consequences believe it or not.
Might I suggest a little family planning and suggest money to be in place BEFORE the pregnancy occurs so the time off will not be at the employers expense?
SugarHillDawg
February 16th, 2012
1:08 pm
If this is true I don’t see a DAMN thing wrong with it. If being pregnant negatively impacts the way a woman does her job too bad! Getting knocked up ain’t the same as catching the flu. She had a hand in it!. She should get NO accommodation. Hey AN those other countries are socialist basket cases. I guess you want us to be like them huh?
The Regressive Party
February 16th, 2012
1:13 pm
Sorry Randy but there is a little thing called ‘law’ on the side of pregnant women. If you don’t like a law, you can work to change it, move to another country, or shut up.
Rockerbabe
February 16th, 2012
1:13 pm
And the church and the GOP wonders why women are adamant about using birth control! Until the guys who run most business start showing some concern and compassion, not to mention fair treatment in the workplace, this hostile environment will not go away. Treating women who are pregnant as unfit workers is just plain wrong. I hope the EEOC takes these employers to the cleaners as that is the only way to get justice for women. No women should be treated this badly because they are having kids or already a mother. Shame on them.
bev
February 16th, 2012
1:15 pm
AN, you’re right on target! Other countries do a way better job in relation to maternity issues! Sadly, the U.S. population is at a -1.3% population growth. You’d think we’d do a better job in this area.
bev
February 16th, 2012
1:18 pm
Randy, when people wait until their finances are in order, they end up having babies when they’re too old. That’s why we have so many kids with down syndrome. Get educated on the facts!! Also, we need our population to grow. Who do you think is going to take care of you when you get old? Get educated!! We all have to rely upon one another.
GaPeach
February 16th, 2012
1:19 pm
WOW Randy & SugarHillDawg! Be sure to thank your MOTHERS for giving birth to you. I am pretty sure they did not do “family planning” before you were conceived. I hope and pray you two do NOT procreate! We have enough idiots in the world, don’t need any more.
Tell The Truth
February 16th, 2012
1:22 pm
Having a baby is a gift from God and only in a corrupt system would a woman be penalized for doing what is obviously natural. As a man, I can’t tell a woman how her body is going to respond to pregnancy.
Randy
February 16th, 2012
1:25 pm
“The Regressive Party” you completely show your ignorance and the mentally challenged thought process you posses. Tell me exactly what I said that has your panties in a wad?
Did you choose to get pregnant? (choice)
You intend not to get pregnant? yet still had sex? (choice)
Protective measure break? Cheap product (choice)
Decided it was time to have a child you could not afford? (choice)
Decide you needed time off from work to give birth to the future welfare recipient? (choice)
Me deciding I don’t want to pay you for that choice? (My choice)
The problem here is I see choices bringing responsibilities and you see choices being an excuse for mob (union, forced federal) laws as your choice.
Who is right?
Go read the US Constitution a tell me exactly what paragraph or sentence gives you the right as a citizen of this country to steal money from people such as myself to pay you to sit home a raise a tricycle motor.
cb
February 16th, 2012
1:25 pm
I’ve worked with several pregnant women over the years. They were out of the office alot due to doctor’s appointments,not feeling well, and leaving the office early for no real good reason. Non-pregnant people would have been terminated for missing so much work, but supervisors never said anything to them.
Randy
February 16th, 2012
1:27 pm
“Bev” and we need our population to grow for what reason? And yes if you don’t have your finances in order why the hell are you having kids you can’t afford?? Your thinking is right along lunacy.
Randy
February 16th, 2012
1:29 pm
Ga Peach my mother did not work until I was in high school. She knew the importance of raising kids, hence the reason I am a productive member of society and not one of you welfare sucking, government dependent brooders.
USMC DAWG
February 16th, 2012
1:33 pm
They are already given enough favoritism and preferential treatment. And you have a ton who abuse the “system”. All a pregnant woman has to do is sneeze and get put on “light” duty, or some type of restrictions that limits their ability to work.
Mad Mother
February 16th, 2012
1:42 pm
The comments on here disgust me. I was a victim of this type of discrimination, and, NO, I did not miss any time from work. As a matter of fact, I worked nights and weekends, and even offered to work during my maternity leave, and was STILL harassed continually by my supervisor, who magically decided AFTER he learned of my pregnancy that all of the sudden I was incompetent. May I also add, he decided this after I had been in the position for almost 5 years, with an impeccable record. Shame on you people who say that pregnancy discrimination is anything but. People who behave this way should be held accountable, sadly, they usually are not. I am now still unemployed 10 months after I was terminated from my job, while the idiot who harassed me constantly still has his job.
Big Al
February 16th, 2012
1:43 pm
At one time I was the only male in an office of 14 employees and FOUR of them were pregnant at the same time. I had a difficult time convincing my wife that I had nothing to do with this.
GaPeach
February 16th, 2012
1:45 pm
Well Randy, I didn’t work either until my son was grown. I raised him to be a productive member of society, but I also raised him not the be an idiot and make idotic comments without being educated on the topic at hand first. I never once mooched off of the government. So I thank you not to accuse myself or anyone else of being on welfare just because they made a comment. We could not afford to have a child, but wanted to start a family. We found a way to make it work, it’s called being creative and cutting back on wants and only doing with what we needed. Yes, we struggled, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I will agree there are people out there who do and will take advantage of the system, but to make such a blanket statement about all pregnancies is just insane.
Jenn
February 16th, 2012
1:48 pm
I have to agree with Randy on this one. Pregnancy is a choice, not an illness. Men don’t get time off from work because their wives are pregnant. This mentality that if you wait until you can afford a kid you’ll be too old to have them is nonsense. It isn’t that it costs more to have children. We have simply grown accustomed to (and feel a sense of entitlement of) a higher standard of living. It’s already been proven that both parents working full-time is a luxury, not a necessity. If anything, one parent’s salary goes only to support the costs associated with working (lunches out, attire, public transit fare or gas for commuting) and then day care for the children.
Most couples, if they weren’t so hung up on their stuff, could afford children on one full-time salary. The second salary almost always goes toward luxuries. It’s a myth that one parent being home full-time is a luxury. My mother did it. I am doing it. We have to be frugal. It means we don’t get two weeks of family vacation at Disney every year. It means we buy clothes at the Goodwill. It means grocery shopping at Aldi. It means I home cook nearly everything we eat. It means learning creative ways to work around one income, but we do it.
Staying the Course
February 16th, 2012
1:50 pm
The case cited in this article basically says that female workers were unable to perform the job tasks as assigned. Remember folks these pregnant employees (that just happen to be female) have a job to perform.
1. Can they forcibly remove prisoners or trespassers from the cell or property without endangering themselves and much importantly an unborn child?
2. Can the employee perform the job task at hand in a safe and reasonable fashion?
3. Can they perform the job without additional assistance?
4. Can they perform the job without possibly endangering their co-workers?
If the answer is “no” to any of these questions, then the employee (that just happens to be pregnant) can not perform the primary job functions.
BaBaBinx
February 16th, 2012
1:51 pm
Randy, you will be the first one to complain when your wife gets pregnant and doesn’t get treated fairly…
Just like any other illness or situation, there are always slackers who pull less weight than the others and abuse a situation. But don’t stereotype all pregnant women – I worked up until the day before I gave birth and took NO sick days when pregnant.
root4au
February 16th, 2012
1:53 pm
I don’t see the big problem. My wife had our children, took her alotted time off and then went back to work.
MiltonMan
February 16th, 2012
1:55 pm
FMLA, which requires employers to leave open the job of male and female employees that give birth, adopt, or tend to a sick family member, is still yet another example of well intentioned federal legislation that penalizes the masses for the benefit of a few. Since employers can not afford to hire an extra worker to replace an employee out on FMLA, the work burden falls on those employees remaining behind. SO….don’t expect the rest of us to jump up and down when we hear you are pregnant….
tc
February 16th, 2012
1:58 pm
Randy, how dare you put down working moms. My mother HAD to work for us to eat when I was growing up but she managed to raise 4 productivie citizens as well. Maybe your mother wasn’t able to accomplish such a task but mine and a lot of other were able to do so. You’re mother raised an idiot.
Prego Professional
February 16th, 2012
2:09 pm
Wow – what in the world is with the hating and cynicism toward pregnant working women? To assume that ALL pregnant women take advantage of the “system” or that any unplanned child born to a woman will be a future welfare recipient is disgustingly narrow-minded and offensive.
I’m a working professional, graduated from college with honors, have a wonderful marriage and waited a considerable time to decide to have children. I’ve been employed with the same Corporation for over 10 years and have paid handsomely into Social Security and Medicare taxes for quite some time. I have every right to use my accrued Paid Time Off and Short Term Disability benefits for which I’VE paid toward family & medical leave PER THE LAW. Explain to me how anyone else besides me is PAYING for this benefit?? It’s certainly not coming directly out of YOUR pocket! I hope you never have an illness or medical condition that requires special attention and the use of Short Term Disability benefits, or a family member who requires your undivided care and attention for a temporary period of time. Otherwise, you’d look quite foolish on your soapbox.
I’d love to see how you female-despising “gentlemen” would deal with the job of growing another human being inside your own body. I bet none of you would be able to hack it, as evidenced by your whiny, empathetic remarks. But I’m sure you’re not thinking of YOUR share of the burden of conception when you’re in the midst of an intimate encounter with your wife/girlfriend/other – if you’ve ever even HAD one!
And Randy, you better thank your lucky starts that there are mothers employed in the workplace today! Without them, there would be far less educated, successful contributors to our economy, which would make things a lot worse for us all than they already are! BTW, the importance of raising kids is not dependent on the amount of time the mother spends in/out of the household, but on the time and value each individual family (read: BOTH parents) puts on the enrichment of their family lives, SEPARATE from work. To assume that a stay-at-home mother somehow does a better job of raising productive members of society than a working mother is completely foolish. Case in point: Octomom!
Tulip
February 16th, 2012
2:11 pm
I was pregnant last year. I didn’t take a sick day. I worked before and after my doctor appointments. I worked even on some weekends. I was most productive in my team. I accomplished more than my other non-pregnant co-workers.
big dog
February 16th, 2012
2:16 pm
For all these who wants to discriminate against women for the right to procreate shame on you. By the way how did you get here thru the belly of a woman. Capitalism has made us forget abouth the value of life. This is about the almighty dollar! This is the downfall of the human race as we know it. When don’t care about our human race more than money there goes the world. It is pretty shameful. This is dedicated to Randy. The comments seem pretty racist and sexiest. Please remember how you made to Planet Earth unless you are an alien.
kr
February 16th, 2012
2:17 pm
I cannot say that I am surprised at the level of ignorance here. Randy, I’m not sure where you misread your information, but no employed female would be stealing money from you to have a child. Short-term disability is a widespread benefit offered to many employees and is frequently a company sponsored benefit. Although there have been huge steps towards gender equality, the fact of that there is still a discrepancy and workplaces continue to be sensitive to it. As a working mother, I strive to make a successful example of what today’s woman can provide both the workplace as well as the home in the hopes of changes theses terribly repressed ideals. The reality is the the moajority of higher education degress are held by females, and it is increasingly more common than women have ahigher income level than their spouses. I encourage other women to respesent themselves as strongly in the workforce to beat these hurdles.
Prego Professional
February 16th, 2012
2:18 pm
Whooops – meant “apathetic”, not empathetic! Preggo brain
kr
February 16th, 2012
2:19 pm
kr
February 16th, 2012
2:17 pm
I cannot say that I am surprised at the level of ignorance here. Randy, I’m not sure where you misread your information, but no employed female would be stealing money from you to have a child. Short-term disability is a widespread benefit offered to many employees and is frequently a company sponsored benefit. Although there have been huge steps towards gender equality, the fact is that there is still a discrepancy and workplaces should continue to be sensitive to it. As a working mother, I strive to make a successful example of what today’s woman can provide both the workplace as well as the home in the hopes of changing theses terribly repressed ideals. The reality is the the majority of higher education degrees are held by females, and it is increasingly more common than women have a higher income level than their spouses. I encourage other women to respesent themselves as strongly in the workforce to beat these hurdles.
AJay
February 16th, 2012
2:25 pm
I dont know why I am still shocked by some of the comments on here. Yes Pregnancy is a CHOICE, but it is one that only WOMEN have to contend with. Men do not have that option. When men want to have a family, they just get someone else pregnant and their life continues, but it is the woman in the workplace that gets the stares, glares, and biased treatment. I did not tell my employer until I was 5 months along because I wanted to avoid all that I described because I work primarily with men. Give me a break with the whole…”we shouldnt have to pay for your mistakes” bit. If your mother or wife was gravely sick and you needed to take an extended period of time off, I bet you would take advantage of FMLA time then, right? Lets not forget FMLA is NOT JUST FOR PREGNANCIES!!! Anyone can use that to their benefit.
AJay
February 16th, 2012
2:28 pm
Nicely put Prego Professional!
Edward
February 16th, 2012
2:32 pm
big dog-
No one is discriminating against women for the right to procreate.
However, it is valid for someone to say that it wrong for someone to get preferential treatment just because they are having (or have had) children.
The childless are discriminated in this country. They often have to work extra to make up for parents’ absences. (And before everyone gets upset and says “I make up any time I take off”…I didn’t say ALWAYS or ALL PARENTS…I said ‘often’.) People with children do get preferential treatment. If a father wants to take a couple of hours in the morning for a child’s Dr appt, followed by a couple of hours in the afternoon for a during-school presentation/pageant/etc, then no one is going to bat an eye. If a childless worker wanted to come in late one morning for some reason, and then leave a couple of hours early to go to a baseball game or something, then that person is not likely to be able to do so as easily. (Before you say, “childless people have Dr appointments too”…yes, that’s true, but I would assume those are balanced out by the time off that parents have to take for their own children”.)
If two people want to take off the same week of vacation, and that week happens to be a vacation week for school, then who is going to get preferential treatment? The childless will be told “Oh, you can take vacation anytime.”
Then we can talk about the per-child tax credit that parents get. (No, that does not make up for how much you spend, but that doesn’t mean that others should pay more. Remember, a tax credit for you is actually just additional taxes someone else has to pay.) And, while on the subject of taxes, how about those property taxes that are mostly used for schools?
I’m not taking anything away from those who choose to be parents (and yes, it is a CHOICE…in 99+ % of the time). Good for you, but that doesn’t mean that your choice should be adversely affect others in society.
Edward
February 16th, 2012
2:38 pm
Oops…when I said “balanced out by the time off that parents have to take for their own children”, I meant to say “balanced out by the time off that parents have to take for their own appointments”.
And, I don’t really see this as a male vs. female issue. It’s a parent vs. childless person issue. There are plenty of childless women who are being discriminated against due to the preferential treatment toward parents.
AtWork
February 16th, 2012
2:45 pm
We are comparing apples to oranges. Women give birth to children and men don’t. Obviously some of the men on here think that every woman should pop out babies at their desk or wheree ver and keep working. Some women go through different ups and downs during pregnancy just like people recovering from illness or strenuous activity. People are different and require different needs. The law is in place to protect those of different needs. Some people abuse it and some don’t. This seems to be a place of blaming others for my problems with out any constructive thinking.
When my wife gets pregnant we will be ready. We have been forturnate enough to be able to plan it out but if it doesn’t go as planned we will adapt. That is part of life…live, learn, help others.
JJ
February 16th, 2012
2:59 pm
Samantha you have no idea what you are talking about.
what rights do gay people have that pregnant women do not.
you are the one who is sickening
you are probably a 500 cow who cannot even find a man to get you pregnant!
Julian
February 16th, 2012
3:01 pm
I have to strongly agree with Edward. As an educated childless professional, there is a difference in how employees are treated for family issues vs non-family issues. It appears that parents can easily take off for the childrens’ doctor appointments, school performances, etc, while non-parents are forced to use PTO for similiar obligations. The system is not equitable at all.
Diane
February 16th, 2012
3:03 pm
@bev – Please get your facts straight. 80% of babies with Down syndrome are born to women under the age of 35. Waiting to have a baby until older doesn’t increase the number of children born with a disability, although the chance of having a baby with a disability increases with maternal and paternal age.
Gloria
February 16th, 2012
3:08 pm
I’d like for only men to get pregnant for the next 5 years. THEN you’d see some laws changed. Are any of them willing to go without sex for fear of pregnancy? LOL! I know very few women that actually chose to get pregnant when they did. Yet we also have bleeding hearts that say you are damned to hell if you don’t give birth to that beating heart you accidently started.
Childless
February 16th, 2012
3:09 pm
Those of us with no children are even more heavily discriminated in the workplace. We are required to take up the slack. A woman in our office went on maternity leave and her work was assigned to 2 childless women as management decided we would not be demanding time for child centered activities. If you want the 18 months that other countries give new mothers then move to one. I do not think I need to subsidize families with children more than I do through the higher taxes that I pay without the deductions for children. Maybe I should file a discrimination complaint with the EEOC.
Middle of the Road
February 16th, 2012
3:20 pm
I am female and am also the bread-winner in my family. While I understand someone like Randy saying pregnancy is a choice, employers (or good ones) have to be willing to make some accommodations for their employees. I work with mostly men and they are always taking off work because their wife is sick or their heat went out at their house or some other crap. Most men also take off work when their wives have babies. So, to act like pregnant women are the only ones taking off work for pregnancy and sickness makes you look like an ignorant fool.
Yolanda C- Coane and Associates, PLLC
February 16th, 2012
3:27 pm
We continuously take cases of pregnancy discrimination, most of the cases get resolved in Mediations, it is important to file the complain in the EEOC within the limited time
Prego Professional
February 16th, 2012
3:30 pm
Edward, I understand where you’re coming from in saying that childless people may experience discrimination, but as a childless professional for many years, I can say I never felt discriminated towards or frustrated at having to pick up the slack for any of my pregnant coworkers. And trust me, there were many! Unless you work autonomously, a person is expected to contribute their skills and knowledge as part of a TEAM – that means some people may inherently work more/less than others, regardless of their family situation.
Your example of wanting to “come in late for some reason, and then leave a couple hours early to go to a baseball game or something” is like comparing apples to oranges. The parent HAS a definable reason they want/need to take time off versus just feeling like not coming into work on time or wanting to leave early for their own personal recreational activities. What people do with their time off is their business; no one else’s. And if a working parent is able to work out an agreement with their Manager to make up the time spent out of the office by working remotely after normal office hours rather than take time off (as was the case with my former Director, who worked her behind off and was VERY well-respected amongst her peers despite taking time now and then to leave early to support her daughters at their sports events during the week), then that’s also their business.
Just as it’s a choice to have a family, it’s also a choice NOT to. So whining about a child tax credit seems moot. And having a family does not automatically equate to an adverse affect on society. In fact, it seems quite the opposite. One of the major problems in the U.S. today is the level of stress put on professionals to work crazy hours and forgo vacation time just to “produce” more for the Corporations. Why do you think there’s such a focus now on work/life balance? And regardless of whether or not you have a family or not, EVERYONE should be cognizant of the focus they’re putting on their own mental and physical health – pregnancy included.
As I said before, I hope you never have an illness or medical condition that requires special attention and the use of Short Term Disability benefits, or a family member who requires your undivided care and attention for a temporary period of time. If at any point in life you do, you’ll become the “drain on society” that you so woefully abhor.
cb
February 16th, 2012
3:45 pm
I agree with Edward.I also feel that employees with children get preferential treatment compared to the childless. Co-workers with small children (in my work experiences) miss more work than the ones with no small children. And guess what? I’m a FEMALE.
Sometimes I feel like I should get a reward for NOT having children. I’ve consistently used birth control since my late teens-I’m 34 now.
And I’ve often wondered about the per child tax credit. My dogs are my kids. Do I get a tax credit for that? I’d love to claim them as dependents.
nick p
February 16th, 2012
3:46 pm
you know Randy you must be a total idiot, i am sure you have a mom, or a sister, or a wife (i doubt the wife with views you have), but we all have families and we all go throught he same thing starting families, its just a shame that we have turned the issue of women’s health into such a ugly subject this week, and some of you like santorum would like nothing better than to roll back the clock keep your wives barefoot and pregnant, and basically hide in your caves until judgment day, i wish i could be a fly on the wall for your judgment day when you have ot explain to your creator how you came othave such views against your fellow humans such as your wife, sister or mother!
Staying the Course
February 16th, 2012
3:47 pm
Prego … with all due respect,
1. Why should your personal situation (regardless of the reason) have a detrimental impact on your co-worker?
2. Why should it be protected by law, that it is legal to discriminate and/or negatively affect a co-worker due to their lack of a “protected aversion”?
3. Basically, Why should your situation regardless of gender, race, etc. adversely impact someone else?
just curious
Bella
February 16th, 2012
3:56 pm
As a childfree woman (by choice), I have seriously lost count of the number of times I’ve been asked over the years to pick up the slack for someone who was out of the office for something child-related. And then there are the women who take 2 or 3 months off every year and a half or so, when they have another baby. And then I have to do their job in addition to my own, again. I’m getting really tired of being treated like a second class citizen. When do I get to take 3 months off, with pay? Oh yeah…. NEVER.
cb
February 16th, 2012
4:00 pm
Hey Bella, I like the 3 months off with pay idea. I should’ve asked for that when I adopted my second dog.
cb
February 16th, 2012
4:07 pm
Prego Professional,
1. What if the pregnant woman is NOT making up her lost hours or work?
2. Doesn’t someone’s child’s basketball game, dance recital, t-ball game, etc. count as a recreational activity? The parent is watching their child take part in a recreational activity.
3. What is the the meaning of definable? That’s quite a gray area. I can say that me wanting to go home early to meet up with friends for dinner is definable, but that would never fly in a typical office. But definable as in “Connor has a t-ball game” is different because it is someone’s child? I think not.
TLW
February 16th, 2012
4:17 pm
The women I have a problem with is the ones that have children without being married. I know one woman who had two children with the same man. They have lived together for over 20 years but they never got married so she is considered a “single-mom”. She has gotten all kinds of help from the goverment over the years because of that which I consider stealing. She hardly gets any taxes taken out then gets to file “Head of Household” at the end of year because she is supposedly single. She had her kids on medicaid until she was making too much money. She got help with childcare. Our children are about the same age. Do you think I got any help? I know another lady who has had three children with three different men. She is living with the current boyfriend. She just had her baby and guess what? She is on medicaid because she is a “single mom”. Our system is set up for people to cheat.
Mother and breadwinner
February 16th, 2012
4:23 pm
I am the working member of my family team, my husband is the stay-at-home parent. I will be taking off five weeks to go on maternity leave. My childless co-worker took off 8 weeks of work due to an operation. I’ve not missed any days of work this year, and 1 day of work last year. My childless co-workers have missed many more than that. I often watch my childless co-workers leave work before I do; therefore, arguments that parents and/or pregnant women are “slacking” is not justifiable. That’s the opinion of a few, not statistical fact.
Another point for my childless brethern to consider…who is going to be your doctor when you are 70? Who is going to run the company that you put your retirement savings into? Who is going to pick up your gabarge when you and your fellow co-workers have retired? That’s right…the children that are being born today! To say that you have no stake in the children being born in our country suggests that you either 1) plan on dying young or 2) have not really thought about the consequences if EVERYBODY decided to stop having children. You should be glad that some of us are willing to bear the financial, physical, and emotional responsibilities of raising our future generation. Those measly tax breaks and paltry “time-offs” that must be made up later do not compensate for the enormous amount of energy we put into raising productive members of society. And so, to all of you without children…you’re welcome!
Sincerely,
Mother of 5 –
3 of which are in Special Activities for Gifted Education;
2 of which are in advanced math, science and literature;
1 of which won two science fair competitions
1 of which won the spelling competition, math competition, poetry recitation, and national honors band
4 of which receive all As
1 of which is waiting to be born
Sharon
February 16th, 2012
4:27 pm
Pregnant women and mothers want to be revered in this country. Rats, mites, dogs, cats, roaches, etc all get pregnant and raise babies. It isn’t that special. Get over it, save your $, have the kids. Jeez.
just another mommie
February 16th, 2012
4:33 pm
too bad this is still happening, I was kicked out of high school 1 month before graduation because they found out I was pregnant, not showing and was married 1972 with no education had to get at a sewing factory, same story found out I was pregnant fired
College educated now but ironically I use this “mommy” prejudice to help overcome a worse prejudice….AGE.
I just landed a job over some very stiff younger competition because I drilled it into the interviewers brain that I had raised my family (hint hint, no pregnancy or missing work cause of babies) and could devote myself to the company (actually true) hey don’t hate on me young cute girls, it is a rough world out there.
There's a Sickness In GA
February 16th, 2012
4:53 pm
The comments here make me want to puke. I mean wow, just…wow. I had a female friend who worked as a hedge fund manager, main bread winner in the family, got great reviews, was awesome at her job, she was pregnant was 5 months with twins when her firm decided that it needed to lay some people off. Guess who had to go. Yeah, not only that, out of the three people they pink slipped two were women and one was a man, both women (including my friend) were pregnant. They gave her a severance package ( a weak one at that), but only if she and the only women agreed not to file EEOC charges. On top of that, her husbands employer did offer healthcare so they lost their health insurance coverage and only had health care insurance access via a very expensive COBRA plan. Of course, they could have taken the hedge fund to court, but then she would be black listed in her field. So, she and her husband were basically screwed, good luck trying to get a job when your 5 months pregnant. She eventually found work again, but not until over a year later.
These EEOC laws are in place, not only to protect women, but also families. Very few families could afford to have children knowing that every time they got pregnant, the wife would essentially be rolling the dice as to whether to not she’d be fired. And due to 30 years of wage stagnation (thanks Republicans), very few can afford to have only one spouse working.
It’s pretty simple. Without EEOC laws, more people will be on government assistance, fewer people would elect to have children, and the economic strength of this nation would be severely undermined as fewer and fewer workers would be available to support more more retirees and older Americans.
Business owner
February 16th, 2012
4:55 pm
I have had several pregnant ladies work for me. For 4-5 months of their pregnancy they missed lots of work, barely did any work while they were here, and basically got paid for doing little to nothing. I would have fired any man that did a similar amount of work but couldn’t fire the women because of nondiscrimiation laws (It wouldn’t have been for discrimination due to pregnancy – it would have been for poor performance – plain and simple). Why should business owners have to pay someone that isn’t doing their job? Are you ok with paying for something and getting nothing in return? If you are then go ahead and give $800 a week to the next pregnant lady you see for several months.
cb
February 16th, 2012
4:59 pm
Mother and Breadwinner, I wish all kids were as achieving as yours. That way I wouldn’t be so fearful of who will be taking care of me when I’m old and in the hospital. I worry about the state of the world in about 20 years. I fear it will be pretty close to the characters in the movie “Idiocracy”. Yes, I am pessimistic and too young to be a misanthrope, but I can’t help it. I feel, as does my 61 year old mother, that values, kindness, and education are being replaced by encouragement to be “divas”, “princesses”, and “princes”. Maybe all generations have felt this way, but I’m scared, I really am.
Quacks
February 16th, 2012
5:00 pm
That is why I never hire women or fat people for anything, period!
There's a Sickness In GA
February 16th, 2012
5:03 pm
@TLW She gets Medicaid for the babies benefit, not her own. You think she is gaming the system and imply that she should get kicked off, fine. What happens to her child at that point, should they pay for her “fraud.” Here’s a thought, maybe if we had greater access to birth control that lady wouldn’t be having some many kids…if only someone out there, like the President for instance, would help make birth control more available.
FYI
February 16th, 2012
5:08 pm
As a woman who worked 38 years and had two children during that time and who took maternity leave and returned to work after each child’s birth, I only expected to be treated the same as any other employee. I was only paid for time that I had leave accrued; the rest was leave without pay. I don’t feel that employers should be mandated to pay for maternity leave; they are already having to either hire a temp to come in and do the job while the employee is on maternity leave or having to redistribute the work to others. If the employee has enough vacation time or personal leave time and want to use it . . fine. I certainly don’t think we should emulate other countries; that’s what is wrong now and why so many are in the mess they are in now. People need to be responsibile for themselves. I do think employers should not discriminate against pregnant employees, however. It is tough being a working mother. There were some times I was not able to attend functions for my children because my job did not permit, but whenever possible, I made sure a relative substituted or I would rotate with my husband to ensure someone was there.
Elaine
February 16th, 2012
5:25 pm
First off pregnacy is a choice and when that choice is made then you also made the choice to go through the morning sickness, lost time off from work. Can you imagine giving women 18 months off work for a pregnancy and how women are having babies now at an alarming rate. We the tax payers would be paying these fat buts to stay pregant all the time for free handouts.
Bay
February 16th, 2012
5:27 pm
SugarHillDog said: “She had a hand in it!” First of all, you speak of pregnancy as though it were a universal crime (let me guess, you’re against abortion too?). But as for who had a hand in it, so did the man! Perhaps the fathers should also receive the same treatment as the pregnant woman then, just to be fair? Otherwise that’s just discrimination, because due to anatomy the woman is the only one paying the price.
I don’t know why I’m arguing with such a stupid comment, though. Sounds like you don’t attract too many women.
Bay
February 16th, 2012
5:30 pm
To everyone against maternity leave: do realize there is more to life, and to society’s health, than profit. We should not be discouraging the creation of a new generation (that will support us in our old age and pay into our Medicare benefits) with unpaid leave and tough conditions. Preganancy should not be treated just as any other disability since most women go through pregnancy, whereas most people do not experience disability. Therefore women take an unfair hit to their earnings just because they were born with a uterus.
Jamal
February 16th, 2012
5:34 pm
This does happen my wife’s former company (a bank in the metro area) would not give her maternity leave. Claimed she had to be there for a full year. So she was told she would be placed on administrative leave for two months and her status would be evaluated at the end of those two months. Later on that year I was in a car wreck that totaled my car so me and my wife tried to get a loan through that credit union and they said no because she wouldn’t be working in 6 months. They never looked at our records just flat out said no. Then on her last day at the credit union the same day she was going to get induced she was told to submit a letter of resignation from her job. She said no and refused to sign any paperwork. I believe she could have gotten unemployment but she never filed. I believe her former company was trying to make sure they were not on the hook for anything. These small companies are sneaky and pull this type of garbage a lot.
Bay
February 16th, 2012
5:38 pm
Jenn @1:48:
“It isn’t that it costs more to have children.” – WRONG. Have you checked the cost of college tuition or health insurance lately?
“It’s already been proven that both parents working full-time is a luxury, not a necessity.” – WRONG. Are you referring to the “proof” of the 1950s? When college and heath insurance were much cheaper? Most economic studies show that working full time is a necessity.
“If anything, one parent’s salary goes only to support the costs associated with working (lunches out, attire, public transit fare or gas for commuting) and then day care for the children.” – Oh, sure. I’d like to see YOU do that on $40,000 a year. Riiiighhhttt….
Edward
February 16th, 2012
5:45 pm
Prego Pro- just to respond to your comments:
1. “The parent HAS a definable reason they want/need to take time off versus just feeling like not coming into work on time or wanting to leave early for their own personal recreational activities.”
I believe you are a person that takes their job seriously and actually does make that time up. There are many (most?) who do not. They do not understand the concept of making up that time and feel it is “owed” to them because they are taking care of their children. I’m looking at it from the company’s perspective…why is it ok to lose those hours of work for one person and not for another? If I’m paying for 40 hours or work (ah, I miss those days when I only worked 40 hrs/wk), then why does one person only have to work 36, while another works 40 or more? It means that the childless person is getting paid less per hour of work. Why is it acceptable for a business to pay for a parent to go to a child’s pageant (if they’re not making up the time), but not acceptable for the business to pay for a childless person to just take off a couple of hours to go to a baseball game? In both cases, there are 2-3 hours of lost productivity, but one is accepted and one is not.
2. “Just as it’s a choice to have a family, it’s also a choice NOT to. So whining about a child tax credit seems moot.”
You know, I actually have friends who use that argument, and I can only shake my head. It is a tax credit…therefore someone else has to make up the credit with their taxes. Money is coming out of my pocket for someone else’s child. I don’t see how that’s right. I don’t see how it would be more right just because I chose to have a family and now I’m taking more money out of someone else’s pocket.
3. “And having a family does not automatically equate to an adverse affect on society.”
I did not say that. I said it “doesn’t mean that your choice (to have children) should adversely affect others in society”. It’s a small, but very real difference. Having a family does not adversely affect society in general, but you can’t argue that someone else having children does not potentially have an adverse affect on others. Co-workers have to pick up the slack (not in your case, but in most), childless people have to pay for schools that they certainly will never use, etc.
4.”If at any point in life you do, you’ll become the ‘drain on society’ that you so woefully abhor.”
Wow…I believe you’re putting words into my mouth there. I assume you’re comparing potential injury, etc disability vs pregnancy time off. Well, I guess I was somewhat off topic since I didn’t even discuss pregnancy time off. My discussion really related more to what happens after the child is born. But, from a fairness standpoint, is a planned (or at least “chosen”) action equivalent to an unforeseen accident/injury? Eh…I’m sure I’m in the minority on that one.
And just a couple of other examples:
1.I know someone who gets an additional sick day for each child he/she has. I’m not going to argue that they are more likely to need the sick days. But, when compared to a childless person making the same salary, I would say that you are affectively paying the parent more per day worked. Does that really seem right?
2. How often does the parent have to leave right at 4 or 5 to go pick up Bobby from daycare, leaving the childless to sit there and keep working on that project that needs to be completed? Again, preferential treatment resulting in lower pay/hour for the childless.
Mother and breadwinner
February 16th, 2012
5:58 pm
cb,
I understand your concerns because I, too, see much in our society that leaves something to be desired. Many of the posters that “slam” pregnancy as a “drag on productivity” because they are afraid they might have to sacrifice some time while the woman is on maternity leave typifies this “diva”, “prince”, and “princess” attitude. I believe the cure to this is to embrace making sacrifices to our fellow humans. I volunteered to take up some of the work for my co-worker who had an operation…out of kindness and concern for her condition. I also cheerfully stay late to work to finish a report when I could, as my co-workers, leave, because I want to save my boss the extra work of finishing our paperwork. I do this out of kindness, not expecting anything in return. Therefore, I know the world is a better place because I perform these acts not for personal gain but out of sheer gratitude for all the gifts I have been given. I hope my sons (yes, they are all boys) follow my example, and then I will have quintupled my affect on the world. If you want to change the attitude in our country, it has to start with the individual. As Mother Teresa said, “Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time and start with the person nearest you.”
Get Real People
February 16th, 2012
6:05 pm
First of all the article talks about the EEOC handling these cases and protecting women from discrimination on this basis so it sugests the law IS IN FACT WORKING when utilized – the FMLA actually provides leave for Women AND Men (so long as both do not work for the same employer then it is split between them) when a child is born or adopted – that is unpaid leave except in circumstances of extreme hardship for the employer which is a high burden to meet. Title VII deals specifically with gender discrimination and there’s a specific pregnancy law as well.
Many employers in this country have paid maternity leave – some states have even higher levels of protection.
Pregnancy may be seen by some as “a choice” but women should not be relegated to having to choose between being employed and having a family.
Those countries that provide extended leave WITH PAY for women who are pregnant/give birth do so through a different mechanism than requiring the employer to foot the bill — it’s typically a social benefit program funded through treasury dollars – i.e. taxes or a “disability” insurance style mechanism.
Like it or not guys – you can’t get pregnant. So to take adverse employment action against someone on this basis is PER SE gender discrimination plain and simple. The EEOC is there to police and enforce so women have an advocate on their side. That’s the way it is designed to work and it does when utilized.
But, it is not a peremptory right – merit based decisions in cases of actual failure to meet the requirements of a job, so long as they are truly due to poor performance not related to pregnancy or other gender related factors – are completely within the law. In my experience most employers who get in trouble with this do so based upon poorly trained supervisors or HR people who don’t know how to do evaluations and document performance issues appropriately. That’s in regards to every employee – male or female. Has nothing to do with any specific protected class.
The only “gap” if you will, is small companies — less than 15 for Title VII and less than 75 for FMLA, except in states with other laws. There is a place there where protections aren’t available and it can be a difficult issue. The system is set up to try and provide as much protection as possible without creating such a burden on employers budgets and other employee work responsibilities that they simply can’t meet the demands of the law.
It’s not perfect – but it does at least give most workers some means to protect themselves. And – it should. That’s one man’s opinion. Everyone is entitled to their own but when they are simply sexist, selfish and mean spirited they simply hold no merit.
Mother and breadwinner
February 16th, 2012
6:10 pm
oops, that should be “effect”.
Lynn
February 16th, 2012
8:18 pm
I’m single with no children and I think a lot of these commenters are incredibly ignorant. For the person who said that the childless are discriminated against….are you serious? And there was another one wishing they too could take 3 months off…because a woman taking off 3 months after giving birth…well that’s just like a hiatus to the sunny beaches of Barbados?? My God, the complete idiocy is stunning.
Sherri
February 16th, 2012
8:48 pm
Lynn…yes, the childless are discriminated against. They often end up working extra time when parents have to go home for their children or for other parenting responsibilities.
Not taking anything away from those who do have children and all they do, but when it comes to fairness in the workplace, the result is that parents often get time off or other allowances that the childless do not.
If you haven’t seen this in your workspace, congratulations…I would think you’re one of the few.
DC Law Firm Accused of Un-Hiring Pregnant Woman – Wall Street Journal (blog) | Rss News Desk | Daily News Magazine
February 16th, 2012
9:47 pm
[...] Employment Commission sued a Washington DC law firm Thursday for allegedly rescinding a job …EEOC: Bias against pregnant workers persistsAtlanta Journal Constitution (blog)Working pregnant women face rampant discrimination: [...]
bbold
February 16th, 2012
9:49 pm
So maybe things would be better if people just quit having children. No problems between the childless and the parents. Better for the environment. Kind of hard when you get old and there aren’t any younger people around, but as they say you can’t have everything.
Where I worked one of the men (with a brand new baby) was encouraged to be on the road as much as possible but the childless woman wassupposed to stay home (to do house work I guess). Either could have done all the work.
DC Law Firm Accused of Un-Hiring Pregnant Woman – Wall Street Journal (blog) | Latest News
February 17th, 2012
1:38 am
[...] Employment Commission sued a Washington DC law firm Thursday for allegedly rescinding a job …EEOC: Bias against pregnant workers persistsAtlanta Journal Constitution (blog)Working pregnant women face rampant discrimination – [...]
DC Law Firm Accused of Un-Hiring Pregnant Woman – Wall Street Journal (blog) | Best News Feed - Daily News Magazine
February 17th, 2012
2:40 am
[...] Employment Commission sued a Washington DC law firm Thursday for allegedly rescinding a job …EEOC: Bias against pregnant workers persistsAtlanta Journal Constitution (blog)Working pregnant women face rampant discrimination – [...]
BaBaBinx
February 17th, 2012
6:24 am
The people who are complaining will be the first to scream for their FMLA rights when they need to use them. And as another poster said, FMLA is for more than just pregnancy and is for women AND MEN.
I think Bella posted above about 3 months of pay. Sweetie, I don’t know where you work, but that isn’t the case the majority of the time. You legally are allowed 12 weeks away from your position. Whether or not you are paid is up to your employer. I work for one of the most prominent corporations in this city, and even with their great benefits, you aren’t fully paid for maternity leave.
In my career I’ve been employed by 4 corporations and quite frankly have never seen people expected to stay late to make up the slack of people with children. And I can promise you not one individual has had to do work for me. What I see more often is the childless taking 1.5 hour lunches while I work through mine. If I ever leave early, that time is 100% made up. And quite honestly, I’m typically in the office long after my “8 hours” are up anyway. And on a side note – the childless typically aren’t the ones pulling any overtime in my experiences – just wanted to point that out!
Again, if someone is slack they are going to milk whatever opportunity arises – whether it is pregnancy, a child, whatever. Get over it, focus on yourself and move on. People like that exist in every company.
catlady
February 17th, 2012
6:50 am
As someone who had 3 kids, did not take sick days, and took only 3 weeks (once) and 16 days the next time as my “pregnancy leave” STFU, Randy et al! BTW, Randy, come back to work 16 days after giving birth, THEN we will talk!
Buzz G
February 17th, 2012
7:36 am
You want to know why manufacturing is leaving the US? It is the EEOC, EPA, NLRB, Dept. of Labor, Obama’s Justice Department, etc. In a word, our Federal Government. We have met the enemy, and it is the Democratic voter.
Quacks
February 17th, 2012
10:05 am
Preg ladies still have to do a day’s work for a day’s pay, after all, it was not the little lady’s employer who knocked them up! Abolish the EEOC, it is an on going criminal enterprise, much like the US Congress!
LPD
February 17th, 2012
10:32 am
This would not be an issue if men that the babies instead of women.
Moses007
February 17th, 2012
10:43 am
some of you dbags act like it comes out of your pocket when a woman takes paid leave. You do realize that if the only people that had babies were the ppl that had tons of money to absorb the hit, the USA would eventually vanish, and most of you would not even exist.
Moses007
February 17th, 2012
10:44 am
on the contrary, these costs are absorbed by a company, a private institution, not tax payers. Seeing as the woman HAS a job to take leave from, chances are she is not receiving anything YOU pay for in the form of government aid, so stfu.
blkbltchik
February 17th, 2012
10:46 am
Ok, so I am pregnant and still working my full time job AND my part-time job, along with my husband who is working, too. I don’t expect to be given any preferential treatment just because I am pregnant. This baby was not planned, but most definitely a pleasant surprise. We may not be in the most ideal financial situation, but we will make it work. I do agree that some women use pregnancy as a crutch, and I do not believe that should be allowed.
Moses007
February 17th, 2012
10:48 am
This is why some companies choose to hire fewer women, which is illegal, but can be done easily. If you hire a woman between 20-35, you should know there is a high probability that at some point in her tenure, she will be squeezing out some babies. To combat the inconvenience this poses to employers, there are many things. Unpaid leave (legal) Hiring a temp to fill in (legal) giving some other workers overtime pay (legal and lots of time appreciated) It isn’t like the company is absolutely crushed by a woman having a baby.
Moses007
February 17th, 2012
10:52 am
The only thing the law requires is that when the woman takes time off to have the baby, she has a job when she returns. They do not require the company pay her. They don’t require she get extra days off for doctors appointments. Any of you that look at a woman taking 2 months off to give birth obviously have 0 kids. This is the furthest thing from “a vacation” as can be. Try the constant pain leading up to the birth in the back and legs then the pain of actually pushing a watermelon through your ahole, and the proceeding healing process. Then add to that having no more than an hour of uninterrupted sleep while you tend to a baby that screams a cries for about 40% of every day.
Moses007
February 17th, 2012
10:53 am
The above sounds like a sweet vay-cay right? If it wasn’t for the saints going through all the trials and tribulations that IS childbirth, mankind would cease to exist, get over yourselves, you nazi blowhards.
Moses007
February 17th, 2012
11:04 am
I am curious how the nazi blowhards feel about the guy that gorges himself with twinkies and has a heart attack and takes 4 months of medical leave. Or the lady that lives in a tanning bed and develops insane cancers all over and requires constant time off for various reasons. Or the smoker with lung or heart disease. Or the guy that races dirtbikes on the weekend that ends up in a full body cast and takes 3 months off to heal.
Those guys all made (choices) that adversely affected their coworkers. Should their employers be exempt from paying them sick leave or required to hold their jobs for an entire quarter because of their bonehead decisions?
shockedandamazed
February 17th, 2012
11:09 am
Wow, I am completely shocked and amazed by some of these comments. I know when I began searching for a job after my son as born (as I was laid off 2 months prior to him being born so they could send my job to China), I was very honest in every interview to say that I needed flex time and that my son came first. I guess I am lucky I work in the IT industry and can make up time easily, In my world, keeping core hours doesn’t matter, getting the job done on-time and with intergrity and quality matters. If that means I work nights and weekends because I have to stay home with a sick child or want to catch a recital or ballgame, so be it. Which by the way, most recitals and ballgames are after work hours so I am not sure who is taking off from work to participate in these activites. I don’t see how anyone I work with or know has paid the price for me being a working mom or pregant (which I currently am now). My employer seems to be very pleased with my results seeing as I just received a raise in bonus this past year. My son is a very happy, well adjusted child but that is my opinion and the opinion of those that spend time with him on a daily basis. Of course that is subjective.
I think it is very sad to look down on pregnancy. I have worked my 80 hour weeks as a your developer. I am honest to tell my potential employers I am not capable of that kind of workload anymore. Sometimes experience is more valuable than “putting in your time”. With experience, I can do a job in 2 hours that some idiot who is running around complaining people are not pulling their weight can do in 8 hours. That idiot spends more time complaining then working. Also spends more time writing on these blogs than working. Maybe his lack of so called support in the workplace because people are out pregnant and doing things with their families is truly his inablility to manage his time properly and get his work done…
When I have coworker that is sick or has to deal with their children, I never mind picking up a little slack for them. Guess I am lucky to work with such a good group of people that are more than co-workers… they are friends! Please let me know where these other jerks work so I am sure to NEVER do business with them nor work with them or their companies.
All I can say, is always be honest with your employer otherwise you will end up in a bad situation. There are plenty of great companies that openly support working moms, pregnant employess, and flex time to do fun family activities.
Prego Professional
February 17th, 2012
11:15 am
Thank you Mother and Breadwinner & BaBaBinx – agree completely!
To all the people so concerned about having to pick up the “slack” for us pregnant, working professionals – get real. I have many coworkers, some of whom are single and/or childless who barely carry their weight, come in late, leave work early and generally do as little as possible to maintain their employment status. And I work at a Fortune 500 technology company, not some small, privately-owned business! So let me turn the tables on this – how is it “fair” then that these coworkers should have the luxury of coming & going as they please and doing just enough to keep their positions while I have busted my butt all throughout my career to provide the best level of teamwork, service and dedication I can to prove my worth as a valuable contributor? If I have to skip out of work for an hour or so to check on the well-being of my child, whether I make it up or not or whether I use PTO is really none of your business. Concentrate on your OWN work ethic, I’ll concentrate on mine, and I truly believe that you get what you give.
Quacks
February 17th, 2012
11:17 am
Dear shockedandamazed – I bet you wrote and posted this long blog from work, on work time, using your employers computers, and internet connection. I bet that is a firing offense too.
Staying the Course
February 17th, 2012
11:21 am
Welcome back Prego … “fair” … what is “fair to you is not “fair” to me … there is nothing truly “Fair” … or “equal” and there is nothing “guaranteed”.
“Fairness” is in the eyes of the beholder.
Traditionalist
February 17th, 2012
11:27 am
Women are ruining america, I long for the days when they were but chattel! Bring back the “rule of thumb” in marriage, and divorce rates will go to zero! In the interests of multi culturalism, I suggest that after 40, women be required to wear a burka at all times, unless a heterosexual man will testify that she is still adequately hot (we will limit the number of exemptions to 1% of the female population, or less). Hom-os are to all be deported to an Islamic country of their choice, talk about freedom of choice! Hot les-bians can stay, they are entertaining, but must agree to be freely available to any male who wishes to attempt to cure them of their affliction, and of course we get to watch all their perverted les-bo acts! Lets put God back into America!
Casey
February 17th, 2012
11:34 am
I am an Ob/Gyn Nurse Practitioner and I cannot tell you how often perfectly healthy women who are pregnant ask to be put on bed rest for no reason. Generally, this is the “low wage, vulnerable” women. Strangely, the women we want to go on bed rest resist it the most…….Anyway, if you choose to have a child then you should plan accordingly with your allotted time off. However, I choose to not have children and have no desire whatsoever to stay late so you can leave early. Pregnancy is not a disease or disability and articles like this one make it really hard for health care providers to make patients understand that.
Give me a breal
February 17th, 2012
11:49 am
As a mom of one, I can honestly say that during my pregnancy and the first year of my child’s life; I worked HARDER than one of my single and childless co-workers. This person left every day as soon as the clock hit 5. I,on the other hand, still worked late. So the assumption that single childless people work harder and “pick up the slack” is silly. My single co-worker isn’t as worried about supporting a family (and I don’t just mean the traditional family) so a job loss isn’t as devastating to him as it is to me…I work very hard to make sure that my family is well taken care of. I’m sick of the sterotype that moms don’t work as hard or take more time off than other employees. I have seen the exact opposite in my workplace…most of the single people leave early
and come in late!!
Give me a break
February 17th, 2012
11:54 am
And no I don’t leave work when my child is sick…her grandmother picks her up and cares for her until either my husband or I get home!!
cb
February 17th, 2012
1:48 pm
Give me a break,
Job loss sucks for everyone. Yes, the stress would be even greater for one with children. Bills are bills and when I got laid off 3 years ago it was not a positive situation.
In general, I think the point of all of this is that everyone should care about their job performance and pulling their weight. And several of you are right, there will ALWAYS be ones who don’t do what they are supposed to do and milk the system for whatever reason is convienent. In short, DO WORK, be kind to your co-workers, and be grateful for your jobs!
Just Wondering
February 17th, 2012
2:08 pm
Lavarsha – “Whether or not you approve of why or how the worker became pregnant the reality remains that pregnancy creates temporary physical limitations which can affect job performance.”
So one can say that the merit reviews/increases should be less than fully capable employees? Could/should this be a reason that women are paid less than men?
Scott Behren
February 17th, 2012
3:38 pm
If you have questions on your employee legal rights against pregnancy discrimination check our out blog http://www.takethisjobnshoveitblog.com.
Loura Hutts
February 18th, 2012
6:40 pm
Interesting justification. I love see clearly Martha