Working moms are faced with the expectation that they should be able to tend to their families, manage household responsibilities, and keep up with work at home. But in reality, many have been forced to scale back on hours or leave their jobs entirely compared to men with those same tasks.
According to new studies, gender discrimination and bias are key reasons why. And it’s likely to remain unchanged post-pandemic. Gender discrimination against women is not a new concept, but it has drastically disadvantaged women from the moment COVID-19 altered our lives.
Most employers have held on to traditional gendered values, which have furthered inequalities at work. When new pandemic-related mandates allowed workers in the U.S. to work from home, they took on the opportunity. It allowed many to take a step out of their role as employees and into their role as caregivers.
For the first time, companies with inflexible schedules accommodated employees to care for ill loved ones and tend to their children as they attended online schooling. However telecommuting moms were not offered the same grace period as men were. Researchers determined that higher rates of women left their jobs because they were held to a higher working standard compared to in-office.
Eventually as more parents return to work full-time, women with kids are likely to be replaced with candidates with fewer responsibilities at home. But many who’ve avoided termination will steer clear from speaking up to preserve their jobs.
A gender discrimination lawyer for the workplace would advise you to be mindful of these concerns if you’ve left your previous job and are seeking employment. More high-paying occupations are choosing college-educated candidates without children. There are a few indicators that hiring managers are hinting at personal information during the interview process.
They might ask you if you’re married and whether you intend to have children. Or employers may insinuate you’re incapable of getting the job done if you address you have kids. Just as it is unlawful for them to ask, you are not legally obligated to provide them with such details.
The best course of action when you feel you’ve endured discrimination at work would be to schedule a consultation with a labor attorney for employees. We can investigate patterns of bias and retaliatory behavior against you and other mothers in the office before helping you file a claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
