Authored by Paula Ebben, posted by web editor
After being told we could "have it all" for 35+ years, here's fresh evidence that, for your own financial good, you may want to keep the "Mom" part as quiet as possible at work.
Exhibit A in our story: a local attorney who was turned down for a promotion because her bosses knew she'd had a new baby. Sound unfair? Maybe, but turns out it's pretty commonplace. A depressing study found:
- Moms were paid 5% less per child than childless women
- Moms were called back for half of the interviews than women who were "perceived as childless"
And, here's the real kicker:
- Dads were preferred by employers over childless men because they were seen as, you guessed it.....MORE STABLE!!
A recent ruling from a Boston appeals court (next stop: Supreme Court) could change the way Working Mothers are treated. A Mom from Maine was denied a promotion because her boss said to her: "You have kids, you just have enough on your plate right now."
Oh, really. The court ruled that: THE ASSUMPTION THAT A WORKING MOTHER WILL PERFORM HER JOB LESS WELL BECAUSE OF FAMILY OBLIGATIONS, (and adverse job actions as a result) IS A FORM OF SEX DISCRIMINATION. We'll see where it goes from here and keep you posted.
What do you think? Have you seen similar discrimination? Do you keep ‘mom’ references out of your job search or workplace? Might you now find someplace else to display the kids’ photos and preschool masterpieces?
