Pregnancy, Your Weight, and Your Job

Maternal Profiling - Here to stay?

Thank you for including information about Maternal Profiling - a disturbing yet common trend affecting women and mothers in the workplace. The Press Enterprise (http://www.pressenterpriseonline.com/) featured a story on 4/10/08 by writer Kristin Baver entitled "Bill Would Protect Working Women". In Pennsylvania we are trying to amend the PA Human Relations Act to include marital and familial status as protected categories in employment. Specifically, a law that would prohibit employers from asking job candidates about their marital and child bearing status during job interviews. This is the 8th consecutive year that bills have been introduced. Sen. John Gordner, who is the committee chair of the State Labor & Industry Committee was quoted in the article as stating "we don't have any intention of bringing it up" when referring to bringing this bill (SB280) to his committee for a vote. With that mindset, the bill, along with the hopes women have of interviewing for jobs based on their education, experience and knowledge will continue to take a back seat in priority because they will first have to divulge their reproductive status in their job interviews when asked about it. Some opposition to this legislation come from people who feel parents get unfair breaks on the job because they are constantly leaving to take care of sick kids. The reality is sick children cannot drive themselves to the doctor. The reality is, even single, childless individuals themselves get sick as do their aging parents who will need medical care and transportation from their adult children. I have never once heard a working mother lament, "Oh I have to pick up the slack because Jane's mother is sick again". Another reality is that many schools are mandating that children must be immunized before they will be admitted to schools. Parents must take time off from work to comply with these mandates yet risk losing their jobs for taking this time off. For some reason it seems our society has become very family un-friendly. Another reality is that women do not have as many rights as they think they have - especially when it comes to protection and the law. I wish someone would tell the mothers of the lawmakers who prevent passage of anti-discrimination against women legislation, what Johnny was up to in the Capitol today.

Ad-hoc Union

Regarding the "union" idea, you are correct on the law, but in practice you shouldn't advocate for this. Employers will still fire you for attempting to organize because they know that the severed employee must REMAIN unemployed throughout the proceedings and it can take years to get to court, and once there, they may not win.

Historically, unions have only won against employers by chaining themselves to machinery inside their plants, closing down production, and doing this em masse until the employer has given in. Now, production is almost done entirely overseas and the good paying jobs are in office buildings so I don't think this would be a successful strategy for five women in a firm to attempt. Not the best suggestion for people who NEED their jobs, but good try.