Single parents frequently face discrimination - Dayton Business Journal:

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Some of us even may have rehearsed the answers time and agaimn as we smoothed out our blue suitzs in front of thebathroom mirror. "Where do you see yourselc in five years?" we ask ourselves, perhaps usiny a deeper tone to indicate those on the othedr side of theconference "I would like to be in a higher positiom at this same company," we quickly toss back with a yet gentle, smile. Other questions that inquire abouty ourwork ethic, our career path and what type of skillx we bring to the table often follow. But what if you founds yourself in a totallydifferent situation? Imaginde yourself walking into a business owner's office.
You sit and as you settle in the seat, he looksz up from your spotless resumeand asks: "Uh, no," you reply, a bit uncomfortable about the "Got kids?" he shoots back. I do," you say. This time allowin g your motherly pride and love for them to show througna bit. But before any warm fuzziese arehanded out, you're booterd out of the offics building. Why? Because this businesws doesn't hire single They're too much trouble. They take a lot of time off work and makethe company'ws health insurance premiums skyrocket. Sound ridiculous? many people, most often have found themselves inthis situation.
Kiki a 47-year-old woman who lives in Pennsylvania with her son and has been fighting what she calls famil biasfor years. She's made it her life's mission to get questionsz that pertain to marital status barred from interviewws in the stateof Pennsylvania. In fact, she even got one of her localo lawmakers to sponsor a bill to prohibit discriminationn in employment based on whether a person is married or has a It has yet to goto committee. Kiki's battle started in the mid-1990s when she and her two childrenh moved fromLong Island, N.Y., to Effort, Pa.
Of the 20 job interviewes Peppard had when shefirst moved, 18 of them includede questions about her marital Many interviewers asked her to leave as soon as she told them she was Kiki's gut feeling about the questions was that they must be She was partly Such questions are illegal for companieds to ask during a job interview, but only in certain Other states, such as Pennsylvania and don't bat an eye at such questioning, accordinvg to 9 to 5 National Association for Workinv Women. People who think they are being discriminated against can file a complainf with the Equal EmploymentOpportunity Commission.
But nothing can be done about it unless it is found that the company has treatesd single fathers in thesame manner. And that's almosty impossible to prove. Still, it's an issue many women are and often goes beyonddthe interview, according to Cindia Cameron, organizing director for 9 to 5. "Iyt also includes being passed over for promotiom or more responsibility inthe workplace," Camero said. "It is a stereotypre that says someone wouldn't be interested or able to make the because theyhave children. So, what can women, or men, who find themselvesz in this situation do? • Go with the flow.