Question of the Day

[James Barrow]

>Lori Olcott wrote:
>>Jim Barrow said:
>
>>Okay, so a recruiter asks me if I have any travel plans and that's okay,
>>but it's not okay to ask any question related to child birth or time off
>>for child birth?
>
>Travel plans and maternity leave are actually very different things with
>very different expectations attached.

Not really.  What I'm focusing on is the 'time off' aspect.  To avoid a
brouhaha like last time, let's assume the following:

* 1 year contract position
* Go live date is eight months from today
* The potential employee are not *asked* about pregnancy, but rather she
  offers that information on her own.

In scenario #1, a male candidate is asked if he has any upcoming travel
plans.  He answers yes, he's taking a two-week cruise nine months from
today.  So the interviewer decides that since he needs someone on-site,
every day, for the next year, he cannot hire this candidate.

Scenario #2 (same job position):  A female candidate says - after all of the
formal interview questions - "This job will really help since my husband and
I are expecting a baby in eight months".  The interviewer decides that since
he needs someone on-site, every day, for the next year, she would not work
out, but he cannot deny this person based on this.?

>If a potential employer knows about travel plans, they can expect you to
>be gone 1-2 weeks.  However, maternity leave can be anywhere from 1-3
>months, plus all the newborn checkups and "Mom can't watch the baby today"
>and all the other joys of early parenthood.  Not all these problems will
>crop up for every couple, but the expectation is there.

Precisely.  This issue has always intrigued me because it sounds like a
double-standard.  It sounds like an employer can pass over a candidate if,
for example, the candidate states that they need time off to watch the World
Series.  But if a candidate for the same job states that they need 1-3
months off to have a baby, then the employer's hands are tied.

>As a result, there is a distinct chance that that an expectant mother may
>be turned down for a position simply because the employer doesn't want to
>deal with all the hassles they expect to see.  That's why it's a prohibited
>question.

Understand, I have nothing against propagating the human race.  But after
reading the list of prohibited questions, this one still makes me wonder.