Discrimination of Mothers in the Work Place
For mothers who intend on keeping a job no matter their family dynamic, single or married, they often experience a lot of discrimination and inequality in the workplace. An example of this would be if a mother is unable to come to work due to the lack of child care or her child is sick, she will receive backlash from her bosses, for they are more focused on the business and how they will be affected by her absence than on her well-being as a person or as a mother. If she is granted paid sick or vacation time, she can afford to miss a day here or there, but if she has multiple children and they get sick throughout the year, she can be penalized for overusing those given paid time off (PTO) or will have to take time off without any extra pay.
The next issue that working moms face is the inequality in wages. While there is wage inequality throughout America, mothers who are expecting are financially penalized by getting a lower wage. This is referred to as the motherhood penalty. Men who are expecting a child face the opposite reaction from their job and receive a raise, this is called the fatherhood bonus to the fatherhood bump. This perpetuates the idea in capitalistic, corporate America that men are more valuable than women, especially in the job space.
Many companies do not give women paid maternity leave when they have kids, making it harder on women who need the financial stability from staying at work and the need and desire to stay with their babies to feed them and care for them, and even create the bond between mother and baby. This time off is recommended by most doctors, yet corporate America does not deem this time as necessary nor a reason for women to have PTO.
Lastly, many women are discriminated against before they obtain a job if they bring up having children because companies see them as a risk due to them possibly having to be late, call out, or leave early for their children.
These examples are just the inequality that women face in the workplace. This does not include the stereotypes, micro aggression, not the pressure that is put on women who try to balance family and their career. This is just how the workplace or a company often takes advantage of women who try to start a family, rather than their life being wrapped up in their job.
To play devil's advocate I will try to understand the opposing side of management in a corporation. I understand the frustration of having someone call out of work, especially when you are counting on them, but sometimes you must look at employees as people and less like minions or cogs in a machine. As for the motherhood penalty and the fatherhood bump, I think it is clear that if you can deem a man to get a raise why not a woman? Lastly, not paying for women to go on maternity leave I can see how you would not want to pay someone if they are not working, but this is technically a medical recommendation but to each their own for their own company policy.
My solution to this issue would conform to the need and demand for social progression like many other countries around the world are able to support their employees and give them financial compensation. Some European countries, such as Germany, allow for women and men who are expecting a child to have paid time off for paternity leave. They also allow for employees who do have children to have a set number of sick days for children on top of personal sick days and vacation days, all paid time off. They are able to afford this with fees and higher taxes, much like union fees in America. It is possible, it would just require more patience, empathy, and effort from upper management in companies to enforce and support their employees.