Ugh, really?
Nearly one in five male human resources decision-makers have admitted to being reluctant to hire women in their 20s and 30s — and it’s all because of those pesky wombs.
In a “shocking” YouGov poll, it was found that 18% of male recruiters and one in 10 female recruiters were concerned about the risk young women would decide to have children.
This is despite the fact it’s illegal for employers to ask young women about their children in interviews, or to consider that factor when hiring.
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“It’s no wonder women are held back in the workplace when employers have such outdated, discriminatory views,” said Carole Easton, chief executive of the Young Women’s Trust, which commissioned the survey. “It is employers and our economy that miss out on the talents of young women as a result.”
What’s more, 25% of the 800 HR decision-markers surveyed said they worked for companies that consider whether a women is pregnant or has young children when deciding who gets promotions.
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“Employers should value young women’s contributions to their workplaces and do more to accommodate them,” Easton added, calling for more offers of flexible working and part-time working opportunities.
“It’s not just employers who need to stop treating women as second class citizens; society as a whole should support men to take an equal role in childcare. Until that happens, women will continue to face discrimination at work.”
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A survey conducted by the Trust, which represents women aged 16-30 on low or no pay, found 39% of young mothers had illegally been asked in job interviews about how being a parent would affect their ability to work.
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