Almost one in three bosses wouldn't hire a woman because of this

As it turns out, sexism is still rife in leadership

Almost one in three bosses wouldn't hire a woman because of this

Is the fight for workplace equality actually reaching the upper echelons of organizations’ boardrooms, or is it just a case of sound and fury signifying nothing?

A recent report from UK law firm Slater and Gordon found that almost one in three bosses wouldn’t hire a female candidate – in case they became pregnant too soon.

After interviewing over 500 leaders, the study uncovered a worrying trend of gender discrimination, as 15% of those asked freely admitted to having flaunted sex bias laws.

Furthermore, 29% of leaders said they would discount a woman for a role if she had young children, with 28% adding they would reject a married female candidate.

“A huge shift in attitudes still needs to take place before women feel they are not penalized for wanting both a career and children,” explained Remziye Ozcan, employment lawyer at Slater and Gordon.

“Men are never asked to choose between the two.”

A further 37% of bosses said, if the law permitted it, they would advertise purely for male jobseekers – as 40% of them believe men are more committed to their jobs.

“This discrimination also affects women generally,” added Ozcan, “those who don’t plan to have children or already have children as it is about attitudes and stereotypes applied to women generally.”

We recently reported on the shocking reason female candidates are removing their wedding rings in interviews. 

 

 

 

Recent articles & video

Ai Group seeks 2.8% minimum wage hike in 2024

Australia's job vacancies fall 6.2% in February

Love and business: Can a break-up lead to unjust dismissal?

Worker claims unfair demotion after temporary supervisor role ended

Most Read Articles

Employer shoots down worker's request for 'mutual separation'

Payroll officer charged for stealing over $1 million from employer: reports

Fair Work: 'Workplace trauma' didn't lead to forced resignation