Will Working Mothers Take Your Company to Court?

Summary Report 2: Will working mothers take your company to court? Today, working mothers have become more likely to sue their employers for discrimination. According to data collected by the Center for WorkLife Law, in the United States, roughly two-thirds of plaintiffs who sue in federal court on the basis of family responsibilities discrimination prevail at trial. The type of discrimination for particularly working mothers has a name: “maternal wall bias”. It takes the form of comments like “Don’t you feel bad leaving your kids at home?” Now, companies have begun paying a high price for that bias. One study by Shelley Correll found that a woman with children was 79% less likely to be hired than one without children. A mother was offered $11,000 less in salary compared to a childless woman. This problem is caused by the barriers that women face in business. High level positions require managers to be forceful; however, women who qualify these requirements are often seen as aggressive and lacking in social skills. Two arguments are raised: “Should company leave their opinions at home and avoid this legal risk?” “Should the society give working mothers more equal and fair opportunities in business?” In my opinion, the maternal wall bias is a global concern. Many employers refuse to give mother challenges/assignments because she has a baby to take care of. However, employers expect father to work later since he has a family to supper. I have also heard many employers not allow mothers having a maternity leave. This entire stereotype or actions about working mothers are very disrespectful and unethical for women. At the end of the research, they give some managerial pointers for leaders who wish to avoid lawsuits, and even said “Don’t lose money over something that you can easily avoid,” personally I think it is a dreadful concern. Unquestionable, people should respect working mothers that they work hard to supper their children, rather than train employee to avoid

Cited: “Will working mothers take your company to court?” Harvard Business Review, 2012 Harvard Business School Publishing Corp, 27 September 2012.