Parental Workplace Discrimination?
Lawsuits claiming "workplace discrimination because of family care-giving obligations" are on the rise, according to a New York Times Magazine piece. The article profiled several parents who lost their jobs when their responsibilities to their families – including caring for a sick child or spouse – came in conflict with their work, or when a woman took maternity leave and was replaced while she was on leave.
The article also quoted work-life expert Joan Williams – University of California professor at the Hastings College of Law – as saying that the current workplace model of a "good" employee, someone who logs countless hours in at the office while enjoying "immunity from family work," spawned from "an increasingly outdated masculine norm."
08.07.07
I honestly don't see how progress will be made on this issue until it is broadened to encompass person-hood, as opposed to parent-hood -- the idea that yes, we expect as human beings to do something other than work during some of our hours on this planet. As long as the dicsussion is confined to parenthood, which is perceived as a choice, I don't see how we'll get anywhere. And yes, the rules of the game in which you differentiate yourself and compete for advancement in the workplace are antiquated -- but very, very entrenched and - dare I say it - easy to understand and implement. Face time is face time. Hours are hours. In order to shift away from something that simple and tangible, a company will have to show how it makes MORE money by having its employees work LESS -- as well as how it achieves fairness in its operations without the extra-curricular hours and facetime game. What are the viable alternatives?