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Pregnancy risk puts employers off women

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Published Date: 21 April 2008
By Kim Pilling
MORE than three-quarters of bosses would not take on a woman recruit if they knew she would become pregnant within six months of starting a job, a survey has revealed.
The UK-wide survey of male and female bosses and personnel managers found that during the selection process 52 per cent will weigh up the chances of a candidate getting pregnant, taking into account age and whether they have just got married – although a direct question to a prospective member of staff cannot be asked.

The survey found 68 per cent would like more rights to quiz candidates about their plans for a family.

Only five per cent of bosses have employed someone knowing the candidate is pregnant and a total of 76 per cent said they would not take on a new recruit if they knew they were going to become pregnant within six months of starting.

The findings come in the wake of Channel Five newsreader Natasha Kaplinsky telling her employers she was three months pregnant just six weeks into her new job.

Peter Mooney, head of consultancy at Employment Law Advisory Services, said UK bosses still shy away from employing a candidate who was pregnant despite legislation to outlaw discrimination.





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  • Last Updated: 20 April 2008 9:31 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

Charles Linskaill,

Edinburgh 21/04/2008 01:51:06
Well contrary to this report, my DYW has just gained a new job, with her new employers knowing she is trying to have a Baby through IVF, albeit her job is in childcare, they knew she was the right candidate for the job, wanting a Child of her own.
And the fact my DYW will return to work to further her carrera and I will become the,..'House Daddy' :-))

But also for all Women this must be a case of discrimination against them and their 'Rights' and must be corrected!

Once again Women are discriminated on, and for what,?

The want of a Child!,?

If it wasn't for Women in the first place, these 'Muppet' employers, would not be there, in the first place, would you,?

THINK ABOUT IT!!
2

Guga II,

Rockall 21/04/2008 02:18:11
You can't blame employers as they are severely disadvantaged if they employ a women who then gets herself pregnant.

I wouldn't employ any woman of childbearing age. Not only do they want time of for their pregnancy, doctor's appointments, hospital appointments etc., but if they do decide to come back to work, then they need more time off to take their brats to the doctor, dentist, whatever, and, come school age, to have time off to go to see this or that teacher.

In any event more mature women are far more reliable, better timekeepers, more experienced, better educated, have more common sense, and are harder workers than the younger ones.
3

Brown beer drinker,

21/04/2008 04:57:58
"return to work to further her carrera"

must be a well paid child-care job to be driving a Porsche!

4

GalacticCannibal,

Murrieta; . CA.....a place in the Sun 21/04/2008 06:01:08

Dudes,
All women get screwed in the business world , whether they are of child baring age or not .

Its their own fault , they are too submissive , from the days of the cave dwellers. When physical strength mattered most.

Women are hardwired to be submissive. And men don't give a s*hit.

Sad Sad

GC
5

Boy Wonder,

21/04/2008 09:03:29
It ain't the DYW wats the kid ... it's Chuckles Linskaill, 94 year old would be live-in nanny!
6

Horrible Cankers at the Cyber Shebeen,

21/04/2008 09:13:18
4...Think you are mixing the 'shrooms' with 'Super Lagers' GC....

Dangerous ground there mate...you are asserting that all women are 'victims' of men...which I dont agree with...women have been fighting for their rights and equality for long enough, and still do so...

Women are not 'Hardwired to be submissive'...society has conditioned them that way...and certain cultures and societies maintain that in a variety of ways...

Example...14 years of age at school during creative time...my class of females is given baby dolls to feed, change their nappys and put to bed..whilst the boys are given metalwork and woodwork....

Problem is, some people are still living in caves...in their mind..
7

Charles Linskaill,

Edinburgh 21/04/2008 09:33:10
Never mind all this 94 business BW @#6, just wish me luck, when I get,..'put-under' for the beginning of our IVF treatment this week.,

It all sounds 'very-painful' and what if I don't come round after the anesthetic,?

Would you not miss me BW,?
8

Boy Wonder,

21/04/2008 09:37:29
#8. See my previous answer in another column, Chuckles!

But I know I'm right about who really wants the kid!
9

CJS,

Blackpool 21/04/2008 10:14:22
Dave from barra - you say women have both?? I have a fantastic career and i also have 4 children. Why is it that one has to suffer?? Nothing suffers here, but i work damn hard to make it work. I am a full time working mum and proud of it.
10

Horrible Cankers at the Cyber Shebeen,

21/04/2008 10:21:41
8...Charles...it probably is painful but you are sure to come round to sit on an inflatable cushion...so I would'nt worry about the anaesthetic mate...should'nt the DYW be doing the same thing if she has POS...they can give her something called a 'wedge section' I believe that can increase her chances....but then again you probably already know that...

So when's the big day?...and what are they doing by the way?...rummaging around in there or what?
11

Crank Parent,

Livingston 21/04/2008 11:10:56
We have 5 children and I am currently pregnant with number six. We are self-employed and work from home. Four of our children are home educated. We have an excellent work/life balance and as a family we are very happy. I think our customer testimonials speak for themselves. So, I think you can have your cake and eat it. :-)
12

CJS,

21/04/2008 12:04:03
Sorry yes - typo. Not kidding myself. You dont have to believe me, but that is the way it is in this house. We have a fabulous family life and i do have a a fantastic career. I must point out also - my career is also in a male dominated enviroment (military aircraft) so maybe Dave, it is that you dont know of anyone in real life who has it all and does it well?
13

Incandescent,

21/04/2008 12:44:59
#13 Wow! That's quite an achievement. If each of your children have an average of just 2 of their own, you'll be responsible for a 600% multiplication of you and your partner's original resource usage. Given that you're having 6 though, it's more likely to be anything up to 1800%
14

Incandescent,

21/04/2008 12:45:42
#15 remove "each of" - ungrammatical.
15

wee_one,

21/04/2008 13:08:11
#5,

There is an answer that might go some way towards changing employer attitudes - change the law to allow dads to share maternity leave with their partners. For example, the mother could have the first 6 months, the father the second.

If men of "childbearing age" are allowed to take time off work to help rear a child, employers might be less likely to discriminate?

I realise, though, that the reality is that because women are often lower paid, dads would rarely take up the option.
16

Charles Linskaill,

Edinburgh 21/04/2008 14:41:46
Horrible Cankers @#11,

Thankyou for your words of support, yep DYW has PCOS, which can be controlled, but OV time can be difficult to ascertain without weekly scans, after 3years I asked to be retested (ok at first testing) , it came back a morbid count, blood tests tell, all should be ok, so they think that I have a blockage, so you can imagine what they intend to do!

'YEP',..cut down below, fish about to look for tadpoles, and if they find any, they will freeze them for DYW's treatment,

Thing is i had a hernia about a year ago, and that did not worry me atall, but this time I am 'S*t' scared!
17

Charles Linskaill,

Edinburgh 21/04/2008 14:53:18
BTW, my DYW says that I am a,.."Woose" :-((

Not much sympathy there,..'HUH',? ;-((
18

Incandescent,

21/04/2008 15:58:54
#18 Charles - is your ridiculous overuse (not to mention strange placement) of commas perhaps a subconcious reference to your preoccupation with "tadpoles"?
19

Boy Wonder,

21/04/2008 18:09:11
#19. Wuss, Chuckles, wuss! And she's right! Now pull yourself together and stop griping so much! Learn to be calm and your little "procedure" will go fine ... unless they misread the pateient list and give you the "snip" instead! :D
20

Horrible Cankers at the Cyber Shebeen,

21/04/2008 19:02:08
18...Charles...Surgeons fish for tadpoles all the time...he or she will be eating a sarnie and doing the crossword...just chill and think o' all the sympathy you'll get when you come round and are walking like John Wayne...knowing nods from other guys etc....its a routine proceedure a dawdle....and you know, it could be worse....

It could be me!....heh heh heh...

Do let us know how you get on...suspect you'll maybe be inactive for a wee while..!
21

Charles Linskaill,

Edinburgh 21/04/2008 19:24:42
Well BW at line21,
Thankyou for the spelling correction, but honest I googled it first and "woose" seemed correct, yep maybe you and DYW are correct, I am a "Wuss"/"Woose"

Cankers at line22,

"It could be me!....heh heh heh...", God I would hate the thought of meeting you and BW on a dark lonely night, then I would have something to worry about! ;-)

But yes, if I come out alive, I will let you know how it is going,(God I hope they find something) :-(

Incandescent, at line20,

"commas perhaps a subconcious reference to your preoccupation with "tadpoles"?"

Maybe you are correct and I am 'Totally Bonkers' wanting a Baby, then offering my DYW she can return to work and I will be the, 'House-Daddy'

Infact you are all correct!

I must be,..'Banana-Boats'! :DD
22

Charles Linskaill,

Edinburgh 21/04/2008 19:35:50
BTW, Boy-Wonder as usual you are correct, must of been some mad Dictionary Google found, I wasn't at home so could not check it correctly

__________________________

wussy
NOUN
, pl wusses, pl wussies (Slang chiefly US) a feeble or effeminate person



Gees, never quite knew the definition, now I am offended! :-(((
23

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21/04/2008 23:27:46
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21/04/2008 23:32:10
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21/04/2008 23:38:06
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Minervah,

USA 05/05/2008 04:09:52
Although I have been a victim of this mentality I do not blame the employers. I chose not to have children but I was lumped into the category of "women of child-bearing age" by employers when I was younger.

New mothers take off a lot of time before and after their pregnancies to care for their kids. This puts a burden on those left behind who have to cover for them. Yet those without children are not allowed equal time off for their responsibilities.

Here in the US where we don't have any type of universal health care and people have to obtain insurance through an employer, many women will take a job, use the insurance benefits and then quit after the baby is born and their maternity benefits have been used up. So employers are doubly cautious about hiring young women of child-bearing age even though it is against the law to discriminate.

Also when some professional women take off time to care for their kids, they expect to return to the workplace at the same or even higher level than they were at when they left. For some reason they believe that staying home and taking care of their kids should earn them a top spot in the office when they chose to return.

I don't wonder at all why employers don't want to touch this kind of situation.


 

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