Are single, childless people discriminated against in the workplace? (benefit, hire, illegal)
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Just curious as to what you guys thought about this:
Do you think single, childless people have it tougher in the workplace than those who have a family to look after?
For example, when there is a school holiday that is not a company holiday, I always see people taking the day off to be with their kid.
Or if their kid has a sports activity, play, ballet recital, anything like that, and they say, "Hey, I'm leaving early today to go to my kid's activity," It's viewed as, "Awww, what a good parent. Go for it."
I don't have kids or a wife so I never get to go to anything like that. I'm at work all day, every day, with no excuses. Don't get me wrong, I never complain about it or anything like that, and I do what work needs to be done.
I just think it's ironic that if I went to my supervisor and said, "Hey my friend's band is playing at this concert hall this afternoon, so I thought I would take off a bit early and go see it." He would be like, "What? No you're not."
Whereas if one of the moms or dads said, "Hey, my daughter has a concert recital at school this afternoon, so I'm going to duck out early to attend it." It would be just fine.
No. You don't have it tougher.
We are in a situation now where children are inheriting our spending debt. My 3 sons are going to be paying a lot of heavy taxes to keep this sinking ship afloat a little longer. It is in the vested interest of our society for children to be reared as well as possible. We must have contributing members of society. Parents are not getting away with anything. Most are trying to balance work and family life and it is difficult on a good day.
yes I feel single people are discriminated. I am at least. My co-workers and bosses all the do is talk about sex, kids, pregnancy, marriage, dating etc and get mad and manipulative toward me because I do not join in their conversations. I want to get married and can not find any one. I want kids very much, but no guys like me. So now I will turn 40 and be alone forever, not to mention my home is going in to a foreclosure because of debt from repairing the home and the economy. Its too long to go in to. I am so depressed and want to cry. I just need some place to vent. I had this horrible feeling I would end up single, alone and no kids at 30 and now I am going to be 40. People at work do not understand me. I am the only single person in the place or at least singel female. I work mostly with women who are mean to me and belittle my looks. I am very unhappy. The women I work with have husbands/boyfriends that cater to them all the time and I have no one not even hardly any friends even. I am always alone. They think I am not pretty and have told me so and make fun of my hair. I feel ill over all this I face. But I saw your post and wanted to say yes they do get treated worse in my opinion, but I have also worked with single men and they snub me and treat me like crap and tell me I am ugly too. So I am not sure which is worse to be told I am ugly and no guy wants me by married/engaged women or to be snubbed and overlooked and told I am not pretty enough by single guys. Theres no way for me to win.
I always thought that people with children were discriminated against? What I will say is that people with children do take advantage of singles so they can go off to their kid's birthday party or recital; I've been a victim of that.
We are in a situation now where children are inheriting our spending debt. My 3 sons are going to be paying a lot of heavy taxes to keep this sinking ship afloat a little longer. It is in the vested interest of our society for children to be reared as well as possible. We must have contributing members of society. Parents are not getting away with anything. Most are trying to balance work and family life and it is difficult on a good day.
Two types of people making different choices.
So you think it's completely fair for an employee to head off to a sporting event or recital that their kid has while a co-worker who does not have kids has to stick around at work because they have no excuses?
What I don't understand is why people go out of their way to make parents feel guilty though. Honestly, what do you expect? Do you expect parents not to work? Do you expect society not to procreate? Someone here said that being a parent is a lifestyle choice and I have to say that not being a parent is a lifestyle choice too. Also, everyone was a child once. Didn't your parents work or at least one parent work?
I don't think any of us single people (or very many of us anyway) are blaming YOU, the parent. I am referring to the supervisors who make the calls.
If a parent says to their supervisor, "I'm going to take off 30 minutes early to go to my son's basketball game," I think that's great, and I would hope the supervisor would allow that.
HOWEVER, If I go up to that same supervisor some other time and say, "Hey, I'm gonna take off about 30 minutes early to go hang out with some friends." That supervisor would be like, "What? No you're not."
It's often a double standard. Not the fault of the parent at all, and I certainly don't blame parents for wanting to be at their kids' events. I just blame the company/supervisor that doesn't allow single, childless people the same amount of flexibility to do their personal life choices.
HOWEVER, If I go up to that same supervisor some other time and say, "Hey, I'm gonna take off about 30 minutes early to go hang out with some friends." That supervisor would be like, "What? No you're not."
It's often a double standard.
How is it a double standard...
You going to hang out with your friends has no benefit to society.
The father taking actions to be there for his child helps guide an raise him to be a future productive member of society.
I don't have children but rather not turn the US into a place only the well-off and the dumb/poor (who get welfare) breed.
So if you as a childfree single person want take off 30 minutes, just say "I have to take my mother (or father) to the doctor." It's very simple. LIE. Is the supervisor/boss going to ask you for proof you did that? ....hehehe.
And saying "I want to hang out with my friends so can you let me leave 30 minutes early" is just, um, stupid. To compare that to someone going to their kids' basketball game doesn't make sense. But nobody is going to say you can't leave early to take your elderly parent to the doctor. You see the connect?
I have a co worker who routinely takes time off work, middle of day, for school meetings, misses work for a sick child, and she only works part time. She barely works. Personally, she gives working Mother's a bad name. I never missed that much work... She needs to just quit or be fired. Which, they won't do... A single person could never get away with missing as much work as she does. A man would be gone.
So you think it's completely fair for an employee to head off to a sporting event or recital that their kid has while a co-worker who does not have kids has to stick around at work because they have no excuses?
Agreed. And often times have to cover for them.
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