Looking for employment can be a difficult take for any Florida individual as job openings may not be as abundant as they may hope. Even when they do find establishments that are hiring, there is the risk that some individuals may face discrimination as they attempt to apply for a position. Pregnant women can unfortunately face discrimination as they look for employment, and a research study has attempted to find a way to help lessen the probability for pregnant women to be discriminated against.
The reasons for which it is believed that potential employers may discriminate against a pregnant woman have been broken down into four sections. These sections include the employer possibly not believing the applicant to be competent, flexible in work availability, or committed to the position as well as the applicant needing special accommodations due to being pregnant. As pregnancy often has visible signs, employers could possibly jump to conclusions about how well an applicant may handle the position simply based on physical appearance.
As the research study was conducted, it was found that pregnant applicants who addressed the potential issues were less likely to face discrimination. During their interview process, they would discuss their flexibility and commitment in order to negate the stereotypes that were possibly working against them. Understanding how to handle potential discriminatory actions could help an individual avoid losing out on an employment opportunity.
Though knowing how to head off discrimination in order to get hired can be very helpful, there are still instances in which pregnant women have faced discriminatory actions after being hired. Others that became pregnant after being hired have also encountered difficulties on the job. In these cases, a workplace environment can be made very unwelcoming and difficult to tolerate. If a pregnant Florida woman has faced such a situation or believes she may be in one now, information on state and federal employment laws concerning discrimination could help her determine whether taking legal action may be beneficial.
Source: Business News Daily, Pregnant and Looking for Work? Attack Stereotypes Head-On, Chad Brooks, Dec. 14, 2013